May 20th 2024.
On Monday, China's Ministry of Commerce announced that it has placed three US defence companies on its list of "unreliable companies" for selling weapons to Taiwan. This move is seen as a retaliation against the US for supplying arms to Taiwan, which China views as its own territory.
The three companies that have been added to the list are Boeing Defense, Space & Security, General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, and General Dynamics Land Systems. As a result of this, they will now face restrictions on making further investments in China, and their managers will be prohibited from traveling to the country.
Interestingly, the announcement of these sanctions coincided with the swearing-in ceremony of Lai Ching-te, the new President of Taiwan's ruling Democratic Progressive Party. This further highlights the tensions between China and the US over Taiwan, with Beijing consistently trying to assert its authority over the island.
This is not the first time that China has imposed sanctions on US defence companies for selling weapons to Taiwan. Last year, in September, they had already sanctioned Lockheed Martin and Northrop Grumman, and in January this year, five more companies were added to the list.
The relationship between the US and China has been strained for a while now, with both countries imposing sanctions on each other's companies. The Biden administration has cited China's increasing pressure on Taiwan, including military activities in the air and sea, as the reason for providing arms to the island.
On the other hand, China considers Taiwan to be a part of its territory and has even threatened to invade it in the past. However, Taiwan maintains its independence and has no plans to change its stance under the new leadership of President Lai. With tensions between these two superpowers showing no signs of easing, it remains to be seen how this situation will unfold in the future.
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