China MOFA on US reinstating Iran sanctions

China's foreign ministry said Friday that the decision of the U.S. to restore the sanctions on Iran "does not have any legal basis".

U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo insisted Thursday that the United States has the legal right to "snap back" U.N. sanctions even though President Donald Trump pulled out of the 2015 nuclear deal between Iran and six major powers that was endorsed by the U.N. Security Council.

"The snap back mechanism was not activated," said Zhao Lijian, spokesperson of China's ministry of foreign affairs.

"We urge the U.S. side to stop acting willfully and defying the world's will, or it will inevitably run into a wall again."

Last week, the Security Council rejected a U.S resolution to extend the arms embargo on Iran.

Russia and China voted against the resolution and France, Germany and the U.K. abstained.

Zhao also  commented on the Philippine saying China's coast guard cannot be blamed for for carrying out law enforcement activities in its own waters, in response to the protest of the Philippine government after Chinese forces seized fishing equipment set up by Filipinos in disputed Scarborough Shoal, or Huangyan Island as China calls it.

In response to the report that Papua New Guinea prevented the arrival of a flight carrying Chinese workers who have been immunized in a vaccination trial, Zhao said it is legal in China to carry out "emergency use" of vaccine in certain circumstances.