China repeats threat to sanction US companies over Taiwan arms sales
- Foreign ministry said sale of tanks and missiles to self-ruled island violates the one-China principle
- Party’s official mouthpiece has identified Honeywell International and Gulfstream Aerospace as possible targets
China’s government and companies will cut ties with US firms involved in selling arms to Taiwan, the foreign ministry said on Monday.
Geng Shuang, a spokesman for the ministry, said China will impose sanctions on the companies, adding: “The arms sale to Taiwan has violated the basic norms of international law, international relations, and the one-China principle and the three Sino-US joint communiqués [which helped establish diplomatic relations between Beijing and Washington].”
Geng also said that the sales had undermined China’s sovereignty and national security.
On Sunday, the Communist Party’s official mouthpiece People’s Daily posted an article on its WeChat account identifying US companies that could be targeted with sanctions. These included Honeywell International Inc, which makes the engines for the Abrams tanks, and private jet maker Gulfstream Aerospace, which is owned by General Dynamics.
Beijing also threatened to impose sanctions in 2015, when Washington approved a US$1.83 billion arms deal with Taiwan, saying that its determination to protect its territorial integrity was unshakeable.
Last week, the Pentagon said the US State Department had approved the sale of the weapons requested by Taiwan, including 108 M1A2T Abrams tanks and the relevant equipment and support, 250 Block I-92F Stinger shoulder-launched missiles, and four Block I-92 Stinger fly-to-buy missiles.