Hua Chunying Photo: VCG

In response to a media report of the US asking China to cut oil imports from Iran, China's Foreign Ministry said on Wednesday that China's cooperation with Iran is conducted within the framework of international law and urged the US to drop its "long-arm jurisdiction." 

Citing US and European officials, Reuters reported on Tuesday that the US has reached out to China about cutting China's imports of crude oil from Iran, as the US tries to persuade Iran to resume talks about reviving a nuclear deal.

China's position on China-Iran economic and trade cooperation is consistent and clear, and cooperation has always been conducted under the framework of international law, Hua Chunying, a spokesperson for the Chinese Foreign Ministry, said at a regular press briefing on Wednesday when asked about the report.

China and Iran have always conducted cooperation following the principles of equality and mutual benefit, win-win cooperation and commercialization, Hua said.

The spokesperson further stressed that China firmly opposes any unilateral sanctions and urged the US to lift the so-called long-arm jurisdiction over third-party entities and individuals as soon as possible.

The Reuters report said that China's imports of Iranian crude oil was one of the issues raised by US Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman when she visited China at the end of July.