Chinese sanctions: Beijing has stepped up diplomatic and military pressure on Taiwan since 2016 (File)
Beijing:
China said on Monday it would impose sanctions on Lockheed Martin, a division of Boeing and other U.S. companies involved in selling arms to Taiwan, the autonomous island Beijing considers its home.
The two American giants were involved in a recent sale of missiles for $ 1 billion to Taiwan, alongside Raytheon. Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian urged the United States to “stop arms sales” to the island.
Taiwan’s status presents the potential for conflict between the United States and China, in a larger struggle for technology, security, and commercial supremacy.
The US State Department said last week it had approved the sale of 135 air-to-surface missiles as part of a decision by Taiwan’s Defense Ministry that would boost its combat capabilities.
Six MS-110 aerial reconnaissance pods and 11 M142 mobile light rocket launchers were also approved for sale, bringing the value of the three weapon packages to $ 1.8 billion.
Beijing insists the autonomous island is part of its territory and has promised to respond forcefully if Taipei officially moves towards the declaration of independence.
Zhao said the sanctions were “to safeguard national interests” and would apply to those who “behaved badly in the process of selling arms to Taiwan.”
“We will continue to take the necessary measures to safeguard national sovereignty and security interests,” Zhao said, without giving further details.
Beijing has stepped up diplomatic and military pressure on Taiwan since the 2016 election of President Tsai Ing-wen, who views the island as a de facto sovereign nation and not part of “One China.”
Chinese fighter jets and bombers have entered Taiwan’s air defense zone with increasing frequency, while propaganda films have shown simulations of attacks on territories similar to Taiwan.
Beijing has sanctioned Lockheed for its previous arms sales to Taiwan.
(Except for the title, this story was not edited by GalacticGaming staff and is posted from a syndicated feed.)
