BEIJING (Reuters) – China announced moves against nine U.S. military-linked companies on Wednesday over U.S. arms sales to Taiwan, freezing their assets in China, in the latest move to put further pressure on the United States to halt its arms sales to the island.
China has repeatedly called on the White House, a key international backer and arms supplier to democratically-ruled Taiwan, to refrain from formal contacts with the island’s leadership.
Beijing claims Taiwan as part of its territory.
The measures taken against the companies, including Sierra Nevada Corporation and Stick Rudder Enterprises LLC, took effect Wednesday and will freeze their assets in China, according to a State Department statement.
It described the measures 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.
Organizations and individuals in China are prohibited from engaging in transactions with the companies, 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 consulting and supporting Taiwan’s independence and stop undermining the peace and stability of the Taiwan Strait, ministry spokesman Lin Jian said at a regular press briefing.
China previously sanctioned and banned companies, including Lockheed Martin units, from selling weapons to Taiwan.
China had said it was strongly opposed to US arms sales to Taiwan and urged Washington to withdraw them immediately.
The Ministry of Defense has also previously filed a complaint with the United States in the matter.
China has increased military and political pressure over the past five years to assert its claims, which Taipei strongly rejects.
(Reporting by Liz Lee and Beijing Newsroom; Writing by Bernard Orr; Editing by Muralikumar Anantharaman; Editing by William Maclean)