China US Photo:VCG

The Chinese Foreign Ministry announced on Sunday to impose countermeasures against nine US companies for arms sale to China's Taiwan region, as the arms sales "seriously undermined the one-China principle and China's sovereignty and territorial integrity."

According to a release from the Chinese Foreign Ministry, the nine companies include Sierra Nevada Corporation, Stick Rudder Enterprises LLC, Cubic Corporation, S3 AeroDefense, TCOM, Limited Partnership, TextOre, Planate Management Group, ACT1 Federal and Exovera.

Analysts said the countermeasures showcased that the US should not be under illusion that China will sit idle after Washington provoked over Beijing's core interests. Despite the recent resumption of China-US military communication, there is still a strong sense of irresponsibility in the way the US handles bilateral ties. 

China's latest countermeasures came after the US State Department said on Monday that it has approved a possible foreign military sale to Taiwan region of spare parts valued at about $228 million. It said that return, repair and reshipment of spare parts will be transferred from US government stock, which will make Taiwan authorities "have no difficulty absorbing this equipment into its armed forces," per a Reuters report. 

Movable, immovable and all other types of properties in China belonging to these nine companies will be frozen. Organizations and individuals in China are prohibited from engaging in transactions, cooperation and other activities with the above-mentioned enterprises, said the Chinese Foreign Ministry, noting that the sanctions are effective immediately on Wednesday. 

To further elaborate on China's stance, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian said at a press briefing on Wednesday that the latest US arms sale has sent "a wrong message" to Taiwan secessionists. 

US arms sale to China's Taiwan region seriously violates the one-China principle and the three China-US joint communiques, especially the August 17 Communique of 1982, severely undermines China's sovereignty and security interests, and harms China-US relations and peace and stability across the Taiwan Straits, Lin said. 

"This fact once again proves that the biggest threat to peace and stability in the Taiwan Straits are the separatist moves of Taiwan secessionists and and connivance and support for such moves from US-led external forces," the spokesperson said. 

Before the latest countermeasures, China announced countermeasures against US military enterprises and related individuals for three consecutive months in May, June and July, regarding US arms sales and other proactive moves that seriously interfered in China's internal affairs and undermined China's sovereignty and territorial integrity.

Chinese military expert Zhang Junshe said that compared with previous measures, these sanctions are mainly on US companies that produce parts for weapons and equipment or provide after-sales maintenance services, which shows that China's countermeasures are now more precise and targeted.

One of the nine companies, S3 AeroDefense, provides aircraft spares distribution, repair and overhaul services and program management solutions to military operators around the world, according to the company's website. 

Another company, Sierra Nevada Corporation, specializes in aircraft modification, integration and other space technologies. It has won a US Army contract to serve as the lead system integrator for the service's future long-range spy plane, according to defensenews.com

According to another Chinese military expert Song Zhongping, China's reciprocal countermeasures may become a new normal, given that the US government is increasing its interference in the Taiwan question.

The increasing arms sales to Taiwan in terms of both scale and frequency enables more American arms dealers to seek benefits from "interference in China's internal affairs," said Song. "Therefore, the Chinese side has increasingly taken countermeasures against them."

By taking countermeasures, China hopes to make the US government and US companies realize that if they interfere in China's internal affairs and keep making trouble over the Taiwan question, the benefits of the Chinese market will be closed to the relevant US companies, Song noted. 

No illusion 

China's countermeasures came after a US Navy P-8A anti-submarine patrol aircraft flew through the Taiwan Straits on Tuesday. 

The Eastern Theater Command of the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) said that China has organized warplanes to follow, monitor and deal with the US aircraft according to the law and regulations.

"When it comes to China's core interests, the US should not harbor any illusion that Beijing will swallow its pride and do nothing after harming China's interests," Li Haidong, a professor at the China Foreign Affairs University, told the Global Times.

Regarding other provocations on the Taiwan question, China will definitely retaliate, and its countermeasures will be firm and thorough, the expert added. 

Previous to that, the US Pentagon sent Michael Chase, deputy assistant secretary of defense, to attend the Beijing Xiangshan Forum last week. The theater commanders of the Chinese and US militaries also had a video teleconference earlier this month. 

Despite the recent resumption of high-level military communication between China and the US, tensions remain over the Taiwan question, analysts said.

According to Li, the US intends to strengthen exchanges with China. However, there is also the intention to exert pressure on China through communication.

Dialogue between China and the US should be constructive to avoid miscalculation and unexpected friction and serve to ease tensions, Li said, adding that US' China policy is based on a position of strength, dominated by competition, and characterized by exerting pressure. Washington still has a strong sense of irresponsibility in its handling of China-US relations, and there are still deep-rooted flaws in its strategic understanding of China, the expert noted.