US sanctions on Chinese oil trader 'illegal': Beijing

China on Tuesday called US sanctions against Chinese companies "illegal", a day after US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo announced he was putting a leading oil importer on a blacklist.

Pompeo said Monday that the US was imposing sanctions on Zhuhai Zhenrong and its chief executive Li Youmin as part of a "maximum pressure campaign" for trading in Iranian crude oil.

"They violated US law by accepting crude oil," he said.

But Beijing said Tuesday it has "consistently and resolutely opposed unilateral sanctions imposed by the United States," slamming the sanctions as "illegal".

"The Chinese side has expressed firm opposition and strong condemnation of the relevant US authorities that have sanctioned Chinese enterprises," said foreign ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying at a regular press briefing.

"The Chinese side has repeatedly stressed that energy cooperation between Iran and the international community, which includes China, falls within the framework of international law and is reasonable and legitimate, and must be respected and protected."