China's new export controls on U.S. entities to safeguard legitimate interests: spokesman

China’s addition of 10 new US entities to its export control list aims to safeguard national security and the legitimate interests of Chinese firms, according to a spokesman for the Ministry of Commerce.

The ministry announced Monday that it was adding the entities, including Aveox, Inc., to China's export control list in accordance with the nation's export control law and regulations on export control of dual-use items.

At a regular press conference on Thursday, ministry spokesman He Yadong reiterated the ministry's decisions and called on the US side to cease its erroneous actions.

"To safeguard national security and interests and fulfill international obligations such as non-proliferation, and in response to the US government's egregious practice of creating the so-called list of Chinese military companies, China's Ministry of Commerce issued an announcement on June 22, legally adding 10 US entities, including Aveox, to the export control list, prohibiting the export of dual-use items to them. On the same day, the Ministry of Finance issued a notice stipulating that, in accordance with the law, products manufactured by 46 US companies shall not be procured in government procurement activities," He said.

Dual-use items refer to goods, technologies and services that have both civilian and military uses or that can contribute to the enhancement of military potential, in particular goods, technologies and services that can be used to design, develop, produce or use weapons of mass destruction and their means of delivery, including related technical data and other related materials, according to the regulations published by China's State Council.

"The US government's listing of the so-called 'Chinese military companies' has severely damaged the legitimate rights and interests of Chinese enterprises, forcing China to take countermeasures. All of the aforementioned US companies are involved in military affairs. We urge the US to immediately cease its erroneous practices, meet China halfway, and strive to maintain and develop a constructive and stable strategic relationship between China and the US," said the spokesman.

China's new export controls on U.S. entities to safeguard legitimate interests: spokesman

Oman said Thursday that future arrangements related to the Strait of Hormuz would not involve the imposition of transit fees, reaffirming its commitment to ensuring free and secure navigation through the strategic waterway.

The remarks were made by Omani Foreign Minister Sayyid Badr bin Hamad bin Hamood Albusaidi during the joint ministerial meeting between the Gulf Cooperation Council countries and the United States, held in Bahrain, according to the Oman News Agency.

Albusaidi said Oman, as a littoral state of the Strait of Hormuz, bears a special responsibility in supporting international efforts to secure maritime navigation, in line with its obligations under international law and the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.

The minister also reaffirmed Oman's support for the memorandum of understanding signed between the United States and Iran, stressing the importance of achieving its objectives to realize the desired peace.

He underscored the importance of restoring freedom of navigation through the Strait of Hormuz and ensuring the safe flow of maritime traffic.

Also on Thursday, Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi and Albusaidi stressed the importance of continuing coordination in managing the strait in a phone call, according to a statement released on Araghchi's Telegram channel.

Oman says no transit fees planned for future Hormuz Strait arrangements