China’s foreign ministry summoned the US ambassador on Saturday to lodge an official protest over the sanctions imposed by the United States against a Chinese military organization for buying Russian fighter jets and missiles, state media reported. The announcement came just hours after a Chinese defense ministry spokesman called on the US to “immediately revoke the sanctions or “bear the consequences.”

Vice Foreign Minister Zheng Zeguang, summoned US Ambassador Terry Branstad and “lodged solemn representations over US sanctions against (the) Chinese military”, the Foreign Ministry said in a brief online statement, and added the following:

Zheng Zeguang pointed out that the US action to impose sanctions on Chinese military agency and official on the ground of relevant military cooperation between China and Russia severely violates basic norms governing the international relations. Such mean behavior is a blatant hegemonic act. The China-Russia military cooperation is normal cooperation between two sovereign states, and the US side has no right to interfere. The US act has severely harmed the state-to-state and mil-to-mil relations and affected the cooperation in international and regional affairs between China and the US. The Chinese side will take every necessary measure to firmly safeguard its national interests. We strongly urge the US side to correct its mistake immediately and withdraw so-called sanctions. Otherwise, the US side will have to bear all the consequences.

China’s central military commission also summoned an acting military attache at the U.S. embassy on Saturday night over the sanctions. The Chinese side also decided to immediately recall commander Shen Jinlong, who is in the United States for an international maritime force meeting, CCTV reported.

Quoted by the Chinese state broadcaster, Zeguang also said that “China will take all necessary measures to firmly defend its national interests”, and added that the Chinese military reserves the right to take further countermeasures.

…click on the above link to read the rest of the article…