Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning Photo: fmprc.gov.cn

 

China's Foreign Ministry on Friday announced its decision to take countermeasures against seven US military companies and relevant senior executives over recent military assistance and arms sales to China's Taiwan region. 

Recently, the US announced another substantial package of military assistance and arms sales to China's Taiwan region. Its "National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2025" includes multiple negative sections concerning China. These seriously violate the one-China principle and the three China-US joint communiqués, interfere in China's internal affairs, and undermine China's sovereignty and territorial integrity, according to the Foreign Ministry's announcement. 

Pursuant to Articles 3, 4, 5, 6, 9 and 15 of the Law of the People's Republic of China on Countering Foreign Sanctions, China hereby decides to take the countermeasures against seven companies: Insitu, Inc., Hudson Technologies Co., Saronic Technologies, Inc., Raytheon Canada, Raytheon Australia, Aerkomm Inc. and Oceaneering International, Inc., and relevant senior executives, according to the statement. 

Their movable and immovable properties, and other kinds of assets within China shall be frozen. All organizations and individuals within China shall be prohibited from engaging in transaction, cooperation and other activities with them, read the statement.

This decision will come into force from December 27, 2024, according to the Foreign Ministry.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said at a press conference on Friday that seeking "Taiwan independence" is bound to fail. What the US has done to assist the "Taiwan independence" attempt by arming Taiwan will only backfire. Its relevant act containing negative articles on China is filled with Cold War zero-sum mentality and ideological bias. 

Without factual basis, the US plays up the "China threat" narrative, trumpets for military support to Taiwan and finds pretext for increasing military expenditure and maintaining hegemony, which disrupts regional peace and stability, said Mao.

We urge the US to abide by the one-China principle and the provisions in the three China-US joint communiqués, especially the August 17 Communiqué of 1982, immediately stop arming Taiwan in any form, view China's development and China-US relationship objectively and rationally, not to implement these negative articles concerning China and stop wrong words and deeds that harm China's interests. China will continue to take all measures necessary to firmly safeguard our sovereignty, security and development interests, said Mao. 

China's countermeasures against US military-industrial companies and their executives express a firm stance - China strongly opposes any violation of the three China-US joint communiqués through arms sales to Taiwan region and actions that undermine its national interests and threaten peace and stability in the Taiwan Straits, Li Zhenguang, deputy director at the Institute of Taiwan Studies at Beijing Union University, told the Global Times on Friday. 

As the US prepares for the presidential transition, China's countermeasures also serve as a reminder of the redline on China-US relations to the US side and to American companies of their responsibilities in managing ties with Taiwan island, said Li, adding that the US side should avoid destabilizing the Taiwan Straits and refrain from actions that undermine China-US relations. 

Recently, different departments and ministries in China respectively refuted the US' signing into law of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2025 and its content related to China's Taiwan region. For example, Chen Binhua, a spokesperson for the State Council's Taiwan Affairs Office, said at a regular press conference on Wednesday that Taiwan is China's Taiwan, and that the Taiwan question is purely China's internal affairs that will not tolerate any external interference.