Beijing yesterday expressed "strong opposition" to sanctions imposed by the US administration on three Chinese companies, demanding it "correct the wrong act".

"We are strongly opposed to the sanctions imposed on the pretext that the Chinese firms sold embargoed weapons to relevant countries," Foreign Ministry spokesman Liu Jianchao said at a regular news briefing.

The US State Department announced the sanctions last week on China National Electronics Import & Export Corporation (CEIEC), China National Aero-Technology Import & Export Corporation and Zibo Chemet Equipment Co Ltd, accusing them of selling embargoed weapons.

Liu said the Chinese government has always been against proliferation of weapons of mass destruction in any form, by any company or individual.

"The US government has no grounds to impose the sanctions in accordance with its domestic law without any proof," he added.

Saying the sanctions were "politically motivated," CEIEC expressed "strong indignation" yesterday in a statement on its website.

"For years, CEIEC has operated strictly by the law and honestly. Therefore, it has won a good international reputation and received wide acclaim from its commercial partners the world over," it said. "CEIEC strongly demands that the US government immediately lift the unreasonable sanctions."

Three Russian companies were also on the blacklist; and Moscow accused the US on Saturday of illegally imposing sanctions.

Responding to a question on whether the US and the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) would hold talks on financial restrictions against Pyongyang this month, Liu said China hopes the two sides could reach agreement at the earliest date, so removing barriers to the Six-Party Talks as well as the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula.

(China Daily 01/10/2007 page1)