China slams US for adding firms to export control list, vows action

BEIJING (Reuters) -China's Ministry of Commerce said on Sunday it strongly opposed a U.S. decision to add multiple Chinese entities to its export control list over Russia-related issues.

The United States on Friday added 105 Russian and Chinese firms to a trade restriction list over their alleged support of the Russian military.

The companies - 42 Chinese, 63 Russian and 18 from other countries - were targeted for reasons from sending U.S. electronics to Russian military-related parties to producing thousands of Shahed-136 drones for Russia to use in its invasion of Ukraine.

U.S. suppliers must get difficult-to-obtain licenses in order to ship to companies on the "entity list", as it is called.

China's ministry said the U.S. action disrupts the international trade order and hinders normal economic exchanges, adding China would take necessary measures to resolutely safeguard the legitimate rights of its companies.

(Reporting by Beijing newsroom; Editing by Kim Coghill and William Mallard)