China’s latest piece of legislation seeks to put into practice the thoughts of Chinese President Xi Jinping on rule of law and diplomacy, and to accelerate legal development in foreign affairs, the top legislator says.

The law, freshly minted on Thursday, provided legal support to counter foreign sanctions, hegemony and power politics, and safeguarded the interests of the country and the people, said Li Zhanshu, chair of the 13th National People’s Congress Standing Committee, the apex of the state legislature.

“China has always adhered to an independent foreign policy of peace and is committed to pursuing mutual benefits and common growth with other countries,” Li said as he presided over the closing meeting of the 29th NPCSC session after the passage of the law.

“But we never give up our legitimate rights and interests. No one should expect China to accept any action that damages its own interests.

“The Chinese government and people resolutely oppose any sanctions and interference.”

He stressed the importance of having a full and faithful understanding of the provisions in the new law and told government departments to formulate plans to ensure its effective implementation.

Wang Wenbin, a spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said at a media briefing that the anti-sanction legislation was aimed at protecting national sovereignty, dignity and core interests. Wang said he was not worried that it would affect China’s relations with other countries.

Global Times, a mouthpiece of the Communist Party, published an article that described the law as timely and said it would be a weapon in the future when China dealt with issues of counter-sanctions, interference and long-arm jurisdiction.

The article named the United States as the origin of ongoing hegemony in the world.

According to the article, the new law projected a powerful deterrent effect to “warn foreign governments which may be planning to impose illegal sanctions on China, and foreign organizations and individuals that promote and take part in such sanctions,” that they would be directly targeted by the Chinese authorities.

The anti-sanction law integrated the Ministry of Commerce’s Unreliable Entity List and “Rules on Counteracting Unjustified Extraterritorial Application of Foreign Laws and Measures,” rolled out respectively in September last year and January this year. It would turn out to be more promising, according to the article.

“China has indeed awakened, and our enormous potential is being unleashed at an accelerated pace,” the article concluded. It said that the anti-sanction law could be summarized in a single sentence: “The Chinese people respect you, but you must at the same time respect the Chinese people too.”

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