Beijing has decided to freeze the properties of nine US military-related companies in China in response to American military assistance to Taiwan.
China’s foreign ministry announced the sanctions would be imposed against the Sierra Nevada Corporation, which specializes in developing aircraft and drone-related technologies, and eight other firms. The measures became effective starting Wednesday.
Beijing maintains that the countermeasures are in line with China’s Anti-Foreign Sanctions Law. The properties of these companies in China will be frozen, while organizations and individuals in China will be prohibited from engaging with them.
The White House in June decided to sell arms, including suicide drones, to Taiwan.
It additionally decided on a foreign military sale to Taiwan of spare parts and related equipment for an estimated cost of 228 million dollars on Monday.
The foreign ministry stressed that the recently revealed plans to sell arms to Taiwan interfered in China’s internal affairs and undermined China’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.
The latest announcement comes while negotiations between the defense authorities of the two nations are ongoing to lay the groundwork for a planned US-China phone summit.
It appears China has shown its stance that it has no intention to back down over the issue of Taiwan, which it views as being the center of its core interests.