Beijing, May 2 -- In a sharp escalation of trade hostilities, China's Ministry of Commerce (MOC) on Saturday issued a formal blocking measure prohibiting domestic entities from complying with US sanctions, Xinhua reported.

The move specifically protects five major Chinese petrochemical firms recently targeted by Washington for their alleged involvement in the Iranian oil trade.

This marks the first time Beijing has officially invoked its "blocking statute," a legal mechanism designed to neutralise the extraterritorial reach of foreign laws, signalling a shift from diplomatic protests to active legal countermeasures.

According to Xinhua, the companies named include Hengli Petrochemical (Dalian) Refining Co., Ltd., Shandong Shouguang Luq...