China said on Monday that its urgent priority is to make every effort to prevent the resumption of hostilities in the Middle East, rather than maliciously linking the conflict to other countries and smearing them.

Foreign Ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun made the remarks at a daily news briefing after the United States sanctioned three Chinese companies, accusing them of helping Iran carry out military activities.

Guo said China firmly opposes illegal unilateral sanctions that have no basis in international law and are not authorized by the United Nations Security Council.

China has always required Chinese enterprises to conduct business in accordance with laws and regulations, he said.

The country will firmly safeguard the legitimate rights and interests of its companies, Guo added.