US sanctions affect 59 Chinese entities

US State Department said in a statement that Washington will use all countermeasures to prevent companies and institutions in China from exploiting US goods and technology for malicious purposes, according to its description.

The statement added that the sanctions against 59 Chinese entities were added to the export control list, four of the entities on which the sanctions were imposed were due to human rights violations, and 19 entities were added to the sanctions list due to the organized coordination and the commission of many acts of theft of trade secrets from companies in the US to support the defense industry sector in China.

Among these entities, the United States imposed sanctions on 25 institutes that work in ship construction research, and that belong to a Chinese state company.

According to Agence France-Presse, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi affirmed that Beijing is ready to cooperate with US President-elect Joe Biden on several priorities, but he warned Washington against adopting a "catastrophic" trend toward China.

After months of direct confrontation with the administration of outgoing President Donald Trump, the Chinese official expressed his hope to resume dialogue and create a climate of "mutual trust" between the two largest economic powers in the world after Biden's inauguration on January 20.