China Imposes Sanctions on Five U.S. Military-Industrial Companies for Arm Sales to Taiwan
China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced on Sunday that it has imposed sanctions on five US military-industrial companies in retaliation for the US’s approval of arms sales to Taiwan worth about $300 million at the end of last year. Scholars from the National University of Singapore have analyzed that Chinese President Xi Jinping clearly asked the United States to stop arming Taiwan at a meeting in San Francisco, but Beijing’s escalation of sanctions reveals dissatisfaction with the United States‘ refusal to change its policies.
The sanctioned U.S. military-industrial giants include Lockheed Martin, United Technologies Systems Operations, Pei Land and Weapon Systems, Aerospace Environment, ViaSat, and Data Link Solutions. The specific sanctions involve freezing property and prohibiting cooperation within China.
This move is the second time Beijing has utilized the Anti-Foreign Sanctions Act in response to U.S. companies involved in arms sales to Taiwan. The U.S. State Department announced the sale of military arms for tactical information systems to Taiwan, marking the 12th arms sale since President Biden’s inauguration.
The Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs has criticized the United States for selling arms to Taiwan, which it claims undermines peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait. Scholars believe that this signifies Beijing toughening its countermeasures against the United States.
With military relations between China and the U.S. remaining tense, China is alleged to have built a model aircraft carrier at a shooting range in Xinjiang, imitating the latest U.S. aircraft carrier model. Scholars surmise that China is preparing for a worst-case scenario, sending a warning to the outside world that Beijing is rehearsing against the US military.
Despite the tensions, Beijing has not been found to influence Taiwan’s elections, according to scholars. However, with mounting speculation over the future of the Taiwan Strait, China has shown a cautious and restrained approach in order to avoid potential irritations with Taiwan and the United States.
As tensions continue to rise, the race to prepare for worst-case scenarios is becoming a potential reality in the geopolitical chess game unfolding in the Taiwan Strait.
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