TheUnitedStateshasalongstandingpracticeofexertingfrequentlong-armjurisdictionoverothercountries.Inrecentyears,thepracticehaskeptexpandinginscope,withU.S."arms"stretchinglongerandlonger.

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TheU.S.abuseslong-armjurisdictionandtakesitasatooltoplundergeopoliticalandeconomicinterestsandmaintainitshegemony.Thepracticenotonlydisregardsothercountries"sovereignty,blatantlymeddlesinothers"internalaffairs,seriouslydamagesthelegitimateinterestsofothercountries,butalsoseverelyerodesthemultilateralinternationalorderwiththeUnitedNations(UN)atitscore.

Inessence,long-armjurisdictionisanarbitraryjudicialpractice,wieldedbytheU.S.governmentonthestrengthofitsnationalpowerandfinancialhegemony,toenforceextraterritorialjurisdictionoverentitiesandindividualsofothercountriesonthegroundofitsdomesticlaw.

TheU.S.hasgraduallydevelopedamassive,mutuallyreinforcingandinterlockinglegalsystemforlong-armjurisdiction,andcontinuedtolowerthethresholdandexpanditsdiscretionarypower,thusshapinglong-armjurisdictionintoatoolfortheU.S.toadvancehegemonicdiplomacyandpursueeconomicinterests.

TheUnitedStatesistheonlysanctionssuperpowerintheworld.StatisticsshowthatthepreviousU.S.administrationhadimposedover3,900sanctionmeasures,whichmeansitwieldedits"bigstick"threetimesadayonaverage.Byfiscalyear2021,thenumberofactiveU.S.sanctionsdesignationshadincreasedtomorethan9,400.

U.S.long-armjurisdictionstrainsrelationsbetweencountriesandunderminestheinternationalorder.Thecountryhasextendeditspunitivelegislationtothewholeworldsincethemid-1990s,saidFrenchauthorAliLa?diinhisbook.

TheU.S.introducedtheHelms-BurtonActtoimposeeconomicsanctionsthroughlong-armjurisdictiononindividualsandentitiesworldwideconductingtransactionswithCuba,rolledouttheD"AmatoActwhichforbidsforeigncompaniesfrominvestingintheenergysectorofIranandLibya,andimplementedthe"TradingwiththeEnemyAct"toexpandsanctionsonRussia,theDemocraticPeople"sRepublicofKorea(DPRK)andIran.

TheU.S.alwaysforcesitsownwillsandstandardsonothers,replacingwidely-acceptedinternationallawsandruleswithitsdomesticlaws.

OutofthestrongdissatisfactionwithU.S.long-armjurisdiction,theEuropeanUnionputforwardaseriesofproposalsandinitiativesattheUNGeneralAssembly,theSecurityCouncil,theWorldTradeOrganization(WTO)andotherinternationalbodies,callingontheinternationalcommunitytopayattentiontotheharmfuleffectsofU.S.long-armjurisdiction,andevenresortedtotheWTOdisputesettlementprocedures.

U.S.long-armjurisdictionunderminesthepurposesandfunctionsofvariousinternationalgovernancemechanisms.

TheU.S.hasfrequentlyimposedunilateralsanctionsoutsidetheUNframework.Asaresult,thesanctioningfunctionoftheSecurityCouncilisundercut,seriouslyaffectingitsnormalfunctionofmaintaininginternationalpeaceandsecurity.

DespitetherulingoftheDisputeSettlementBodyofWTOthatitsSection301proceduresareaviolationofinternationallaw,theUnitedStatescontinuestolaunchvariousunilateralSection301investigationsonimportsfromChinaandothercountries,andkeepsallexistingSection301tariffsunchanged.Ithasblatantlytrampledonthepurposesandspiritofthemultilateraltradingsystem,anderodedthecornerstoneofthesystem"soperation.

TheU.S.,wieldingthestickoflong-armjurisdiction,hasbecomeanexpertofunilateralismandbullying,asaboteurofthemultilateraltradingsystem,andamanipulatorapplyingdoublestandardsinindustrialpolicies.

U.S.long-armjurisdictionsuppressesbusinesscompetitorsandunderminestheinterestsofcompaniesinothercountries.

Itabusesitspublicpowertosuppresscompetitorsandmeddleinnormalinternationalbusinessactivities,whichmarksacompletedeparturefromitslong-standingself-proclaimedchampionofliberalmarketeconomy.

TheU.S.appliedtheForeignCorruptPracticesActandotherdomesticlawsinothercountries,imposingastronomicalfinesonmultipleindustrialleadersinEurope,whichcrippledthecompetitivenessofEuropeanindustry.

EnterprisesfromAmerica"sallies,suchasJapan"sToshiba,SiemensinGermany,andFrenchcompanyAlstomwerealloncetargetsofU.S."actsofpiracy."

AreportsaidthatU.S.long-armjurisdictionhasbecomearealindustry,aweaponthatthecountryusestoweakenforeigncompetitorsineconomicwars.

U.S.long-armjurisdictionviolatesthebasichumanrightsofcitizensinothercountries.

Inrecentyears,theU.S.hasfrequentlyemployedtheGlobalMagnitskyHumanRightsAccountabilityAct(2016)toimposeunilateralsanctionsonentitiesinvariouscountriesdeemedtohaveengagedin"serioushumanrightsviolations."However,ithasoftenviolatedthebasichumanrightsofthesanctionedsubjectswhileexercisingsuchunilateralsanctions.

NadiaHelmy,apoliticalscienceprofessoratEgypt"sBeni-SuefUniversity,notedthatU.S.sanctionsimposedonAfghanistan,Iran,Syria,Yemenandothercountrieshavenotonlyfailedtoreachitsgoalofeconomiccoercion,butalsoseriouslydisturbedtheCOVID-19responsesinthesecountries.

AstheBrookingsInstitutionestimated,duringtheheightofthepandemicinIran,U.S.sanctionsfurtherexacerbatedthespreadofthevirusandcouldhavecausedupto13,000ofdeaths.

Today"sworldisfacinguncertaintiesandinstabilities,andneedscountriestoforgesolidarity.TheU.S.shouldrenounceitsillegalunilateralsanctionsandlong-armjurisdictionmeasures,trulytakeupitsinternationalresponsibilitiesasamajorcountry,andworkwithothercountiestosafeguardinternationalequityandjustice,andpromotethepeacefuldevelopmentoftheworld.

(ZhongShengisapennameoftenusedbyPeople"sDailytoexpressitsviewsonforeignpolicyandinternationalaffairs.)