Dragon’s claws: China slashes US firms over Taiwan arms sales

• China sanctions five US defense firms over arms sales to Taiwan.
• Sanctions freeze assets and bar Chinese dealings with the targeted companies.
• China claims US actions violate sovereignty, security, and threaten Taiwan Strait peace.

In retaliation for US arms sales to Taiwan and US sanctions against Chinese persons and companies, China slapped sanctions on five US defense-related enterprises on Sunday.

The Foreign Ministry stated in an online statement that the firms’ assets in China would be frozen and that Chinese persons and organizations would not be allowed to do business with them.

The businesses are Data Link Solutions, AeroVironment, ViaSat, Alliant Techsystems Operation, and BAE Systems Land and Armament.

The US actions, according to the Foreign Ministry, infringed the rights and interests of Chinese citizens and companies, as well as China’s sovereignty and security interests. They also threatened peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait.

“The Chinese government remains unwavering in our resolve to safeguard national sovereignty, security, and territorial integrity and protect the lawful rights and interests of Chinese companies and citizens,” the ministry statement said.

The US authorized the $300 million sale of Taiwanese defense and communications equipment last month. Wang Wenbin, a spokesman for the foreign ministry, issued a warning at the time, stating that China would retaliate against businesses that sold weapons to Taiwan.

Analysts fear that Taiwan, a major area of contention in US-China relations, may spark a military confrontation between the two superpowers. Taiwan is a self-governing island off the coast of China, and Beijing views it as a province gone rogue that will eventually fall under its authority. Taiwan sees US arms sales as meddling in its internal affairs.

In an attempt to prevent the government of Taiwan from formally declaring independence, the Chinese military frequently sends fighter planes and ships into and over the waters surrounding the island. Although there doesn’t seem to be an impending invasion, the ongoing military action acts as a continual reminder that the threat is always there.

Although the US moved its diplomatic recognition from Taiwan to China in 1971, it is nevertheless required by US law to guarantee Taiwan’s self-defense capabilities. Its friends and it cross the Taiwan Strait, a 100-mile (160-kilometer) waterway dividing the island from China, using warships.

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