BEIJING — China has told Washington to avoid "wrong moves" that hurt Chinese interests following a U.S. threat to impose sanctions on buyers of Iranian oil.

A foreign ministry spokesman, Geng Shuang, said Wednesday that Beijing opposes the Trump administration's "unilateral sanctions and so-called long-arm jurisdiction" over Iran.

Geng said China, one of the biggest buyers of Iranian oil exports, would protect the "legitimate rights" of its companies but gave no indication how Beijing might respond if Washington imposes penalties.

Geng said at a news briefing, "We urge the United States to earnestly respect China's interests and concerns and refrain from taking wrong moves that will undermine our interests."