Shanghai, China, Jan 7 (EFE).- China announced Sunday sanctions against five US companies in the defense sector for arms sale to Taiwan.<\/p>
The foreign ministry said in a statement that the weapons sale and Washington\u2019s sanctions on Chinese entities and individuals “seriously\u2002harm\u2002China\u2019s sovereignty and security interests” of the Asian country and “undermine the\u2002peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait.”<\/p>
In response, Beijing is set to impose sanctions on Alliant Techsystems Operations, AeroVironment, ViaSat, Data Link Solutions, and BAE Systems Land and Armament, all from the defense sector.<\/p>
These sanctions include freezing the properties of these firms in China and prohibiting organizations and citizens in the Asian country from carrying out transactions or cooperating with them.<\/p>
\u201cThe Chinese government remains unwavering in our resolve to safeguard national sovereignty, security and territorial integrity,\u201d said the foreign ministry spokesperson in the statement, urging the US to \u201cstop arming Taiwan, and stop targeting China with illegal unilateral sanctions.\u201d<\/p>
\u201cOtherwise there will be strong and resolute response from China,\u201d warned the spokesperson.<\/p>
In December, the US agreed to a $300 million sale of military equipment and assistance to Taiwan to improve its tactical capabilities.<\/p>
The sanctions come days before the presidential elections in Taiwan, in which the current vice president and candidate of the ruling party, William Lai, is the favorite.<\/p>
Meanwhile, the opposition, more prone to dialog with Beijing, has claimed that only an opposition victory could prevent a “war” with China.<\/p>
In his end-of-year speech, Chinese President Xi Jinping said China’s reunification with Taiwan was inevitable.<\/p>
China considers the island, governed autonomously since 1949, a breakaway part of its territory.<\/p>
Beijing says it reserves the right to use force to reunify Taiwan, even though a peaceful merger would be its first choice.<\/p>
The island was the refuge of the Chinese Nationalist Party (Kuomintang) forces after losing the civil war with the Communists, who, since then, have claimed sovereignty over the territory. EFE <\/p>
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