China’s foreign ministry on Friday reiterated its opposition to unilateral sanctions by the U.S. against North Korea.

“We are consistently opposed to the unilateral sanctions outside the framework of the UN Security Council,” Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Lu Kang told a regular press briefing in Beijing. “The position is clear and consistent.”

The comment comes in response to an announcement by U.S. President Donald Trump on Thursday of a fresh Executive Order (EO) against North Korean businesses.

U.S. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin reiterated during a news conference after the announcement that the new sanctions were not intended to target China.

“This action is