Chinese Deputy Foreign Minister Zheng Zeguang summoned Ambassador Terry Branstad to lodge "stern representations" and protest the sanctions, the foreign ministry said. Earlier, Chinese defense ministry spokesman Wu Qian said China's decision to buy fighter jets and missile systems from Russia was a normal act of cooperation between sovereign countries, and the United States had "no right to interfere". On Thursday, the U.S. State Department imposed sanctions on China's Equipment Development Department (EED), the branch of the military responsible for weapons procurement, after it engaged in "significant transactions" with Rosoboronexport, Russia's main arms exporter.



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