Sputnik - Beijing has responded to the United States with a formal diplomatic protest over introducing sanctions against a national of China and three companies over ties with the Iranian missile program, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said Thursday.





BEIJING (Sputnik)�� On Wednesday, the US Department of�the Treasury imposed sanctions against�Chinese citizen Ruan Runling and Shanghai Gang Quan Trade, Shanghai North Begins International and Shanghai North Transway International Trading companies over�their links to�Iran�s missile development program.
�We have already made a representation to�the US side in�relation to�this. We hope that the United States will resolve via�dialogue and cooperation the concerns linked to�the issue of�non-proliferation of�nuclear weapons on�the basis of�the principles of�mutual respect, equality, mutual benefits,� Hua told a briefing.


In July 2015, Iran and the P5+1 countries�� the United States, Russia, China, France and the United Kingdom plus Germany � signed an agreement ensuring the peaceful nature of�the Iranian nuclear program in�return for�the gradual lifting of�sanctions against�Tehran. The deal came into�force on�January 16, 2016, after�the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) confirmed that Iran was ready to�implement the program to�reduce its nuclear potential.


However, the United States imposed new sanctions against�Iran in�February 2017 after�Tehran carried out�a medium-range ballistic missile test in�late January.