China threatens sanctions against US companies selling weapons to Taiwan

Beijing will impose sanctions on US enterprises involved in arms sales to Taiwan, China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said on Friday. The decision follows Washington’s announcement to sell $2.22 billion worth of arms to Taiwan.

“US arms sales to Taiwan constitute a serious violation of international law and the basic norms governing international relations,” said China’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson Geng Shuang.

“To safeguard our national interests, China will impose sanctions on the US enterprises involved in the above-mentioned arms sales to Taiwan,” the ministry added.

On Thursday the Chinese military expressed strong dissatisfaction with the US State Department’s approval of a plan to sell weapons to Taiwan.

The spokesperson for China’s Ministry of National Defense said: “Taiwan is an inalienable part of China. China’s firm opposition to US arms sales to Taiwan is clear and consistent.”

“As an internal affair of China, the Taiwan issue concerns China’s core interests and the national feeling of the Chinese people, and forbids external interference,” he stressed.

According to the defense ministry, the Chinese armed forces have the firm will, full confidence, and sufficient capability to thwart any form of interference by external forces and separatist acts of “Taiwan independence,” and will take all necessary measures to safeguard national sovereignty, security, and territorial integrity.

On Monday, the US State Department approved the sale of M1A2T Abrams tanks, Stinger missiles and related military equipment to Taiwan at an estimated value of $2.2 billion.

The approval came in violation of the ‘One China’ principle that views the island as an integral part of China.

Relations between Beijing and Taipei have deteriorated since Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen, a member of the island’s pro-independence Democratic Progressive Party, took office in May 2016. China suspects the leader of seeking formal independence with support from Washington.

For more stories on economy & finance visit RT’s business section