China has again targeted American companies and said it plans to stop buying products from nine US defense companies that supply arms and equipment to Taiwan. This was announced on Wednesday by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Beijing and symbolizes an increase in aggression in several aspects, though most pointedly as China increases pressure on Taiwan and demands on the US not to support the island’s independence.
These are freezing the firm’s assets in the country under consideration, China in this case, and an outright ban on any forms of transactions with citizens from China or with entities within China. Spokesman Lin Jian stressed that U.S. arms sales to what it called ‘China’s Taiwan region’ have gravely violated the one-China principle, which has posed threats to China’s sovereignty and security and undermined China-US relations.
The sanction-imposing firms are Sierra Nevada Corporation, Stick Rudder Enterprises, Cubic Corporation, S3 Aerospace, TCOM Ltd Partnership, TextOre, Planate Management Group, ACT1 Federal, and Exovera. This action comes after the U.S. State Department cleared the possible sale of spare parts to Taiwan’s military, estimated at $228,750,000, to enhance the island’s capability to fight off its adversaries.
Critically, Lin urged upon the U.S. “to stop plotting and encouraging Taiwan independence” and avoid the performance of activities that contribute to tensions in the Taiwan Strait.
China claims that Taiwan is its territory and has ratcheted up military and political pressure over the past five years despite the Taipei democratically elected government, which vehemently denies Beijing’s assertion. The U. S revoked diplomatic recognition of Taipei in 1979 and recognized Beijing instead, but Taiwan’s most critical friend and military supplier is still a continuous source of irk to Beijing.
Relations between Beijing and Washington have soured recently over issues such as trade, access to sophisticated technology, and China’s aggression in the South China Sea. Last month, National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan of the White House met with Zhang Youxia, a high-ranking member of China’s military.
This was the first such visit by a U.S. national security adviser since 2016. In that meeting, Zhang emphasized that the Taiwan issue is a “red line that cannot be touched in China-US relations” and insisted on ceasing the military relationship with Taiwan and the U.S.
