China announced steps against nine US military-linked firms on Wednesday over U.S. weapons sales to Taiwan, freezing their property within China, in the latest move to put added pressure on the United States to halt its arms sales to the island.
China has repeatedly called on the White House, an important international backer and arms supplier for democratically-governed Taiwan, to refrain from formal dealings with the island’s leadership.
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Beijing claims Taiwan as part of its territory.
The steps taken against the firms, including Sierra Nevada Corporation and Stick Rudder Enterprises LLC, became effective on Wednesday and will freeze their property within China, according to a foreign ministry statement.
It described the actions as countermeasures and said they also applied to Cubic Corporation, S3 Aerospace, TCOM Ltd Partnership, TextOre, Planate Management Group, ACT1 Federal and Exovera, the ministry said.
Organisations and individuals within China are prohibited from engaging in transactions with the firms, the statement said.
A spokesperson for China’s foreign ministry on Wednesday urged the United States “to immediately stop the dangerous trend of arming Taiwan. “Stop conniving and supporting
