On Friday, December 26, China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced sanctions against US weapons manufacturing firms and their high-level officials over Washington’s decision to allow billions of dollars of arms sales to Taiwan.
The 20 weapons manufacturing firms sanctioned by China include companies like Northrop Grumman Corporation, L3Harris Maritime Services, and Boeing. At least 10 senior executives related to these firms, including Palmer Luckey, founder of Anduril Industries, have also been sanctioned.
The sanctions freeze all the movable and unmovable properties in China belonging to these firms and individuals. Under the measures, Chinese individuals and firms are prohibited from engaging or doing business with these companies or individuals.
The sanctioned executives are not allowed to visit China, Hong Kong, or Macao.
Despite repeated Chinese warnings, the US announced a fresh USD 11 billion deal to supply weapons to Taiwan earlier this month. This is the largest ever weapons deal with Taiwan, if approved by Congress (as required by the US law).
The deal includes a supply of weapons such as HIMARS rocket systems, drones, anti-tank missiles, and howitzers among others.
China has traditionally maintained that Taiwan is an integral part of its territory and considers US arms sales or other political moves an interference in its internal affairs. It has described the arms sales as open support for the separatist forces in Taiwan.
Responding to the fresh arms deal, the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs reiterated on Friday that the Taiwan question is at the very core of its interests and “the first red line that must not be crossed in China-US relations.”
“Any company or individual who engages in arms sales to Taiwan will pay a price for the wrong doing. No country or force shall ever underestimate the resolve, will and ability of the Chinese government and people to safeguard national sovereignty and territorial integrity,” the spokesperson of the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a press briefing on Friday.
Dangerous move undermining regional peace
Though the overwhelming majority of the world, including the US, recognize Chinese claims on Taiwan, successive administrations in the US have sold weapons to it and supported political formations seeking the independence of Taiwan.
The US has traditionally defended the arms sales to Taiwan on the grounds of its supposed commitments to Taiwan’s defense under its domestic law or the so-called Taiwan Relations Act, adopted in 1979 by the US Congress.
So far in Donald Trump’s second term as president, the US has already sold billions of dollars of arms to Taiwan. The Trump administration defended the latest sales claiming it to be necessary for Taiwan’s self-defense capabilities in the context of China’s alleged military maneuvers in the region.
On Friday, the spokesperson of the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs responded to the arms deal with Taiwan calling it provocative and an attempt to arm the separatist forces. He also called it an attempt by the US to undermine peace and create instability in the region.
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China repeated its demand that the US stick to its commitments to the “One China principle” and the three joint communiques between the two countries about arms sales and interference in internal matters.
The US must “stop sending wrong signals to the ‘Taiwan Independence’ separatist forces,” China said on Friday, claiming it will take all necessary measures to “defend national sovereignty, security, and territorial integrity” if the provocations continue.
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