Beijing: China has expressed strong opposition to the recent US sanctions after an oil tanker was seized off the coast of Venezuela. The US announced restrictions on six shipping companies and associated vessels, including one registered in Hong Kong.

According to Anadolu Agency, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun addressed a news conference in Beijing, stating that Beijing opposes unilateral sanctions and long-arm jurisdiction that lack international law basis or authorization from the UN Security Council. The spokesperson also criticized the misuse of sanctions.

The US Treasury Department revealed on Thursday that it imposed sanctions on six companies and their vessels for involvement in Venezuela's oil sector. This move came after US President Donald Trump announced the seizure of a tanker off Venezuela, amid ongoing tensions with President Nicolas Maduro's government.

The Treasury statement further implicated three nephews of Maduro's wife, Cilia Flores, along with a businessman affiliated with Maduro, in the sanctions. US authorities reported conducting 22 known operations against alleged 'narco-terrorist' seaborne vessels since early September, resulting in 87 fatalities across the Caribbean Sea and Eastern Pacific Ocean.