China Imposes Sanctions on 5 US Manufacturers for Arms Deal with Taiwan
China retaliates against US arms sales to Taiwan, imposing sanctions on five American military manufacturers
China is set to impose sanctions on five US military manufacturers in retaliation to the recent American arms sales to Taiwan, announced a Foreign Ministry spokesperson on Sunday. The sales have been a recurring source of tension between Washington and Beijing as China regards Taiwan as its territory, a claim which is rejected by the Taiwanese government.
The sanctions precede the Taiwanese presidential and parliamentary elections on January 13, which China has framed as a decision between war and peace. In addition, the US State Department recently authorized a $300 million sale of equipment to support Taiwan's tactical information systems.
The recent arms sales were stated by a spokesperson to "seriously undermine China's sovereignty and security interests, seriously jeopardize peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait."
The companies facing sanctions include BAE Systems Land and Armaments, Alliant Techsystems Operations, AeroVironment, Viasat, and Data Link Solutions.
China will freeze the assets of the aforementioned companies and prohibit any individuals or organizations within China from conducting business with them, as stated by the spokesperson. The US embassy in Beijing has not yet responded to a request for comment.
