China has decided to suspend talks with the United States on arms control and non-proliferation due to continued U.S. arms sales to Taiwan, the Foreign Ministry announced today.
Spokesman Lin Jian pointed out that Washington has repeatedly ignored Beijing’s firm opposition to the supply of weapons to the southern island of the Asian giant.
He further accused the U.S. of taking “a series of actions that seriously damage China’s core interests and undermine political trust between the two nations.”
According to the spokesman, these actions deteriorated the political environment necessary to continue bilateral consultations on this issue.
Despite the suspension, China expressed its willingness to maintain communication with the United States on international arms control issues, “as long as it is based on mutual respect, peaceful coexistence and mutually beneficial cooperation,” the spokesman added.
Lin Jian called on Washington to respect Beijing’s core interests and create conditions for effective dialogue and exchange between the two nations.
China last week announced countermeasures against six U.S. military sector companies and five senior executives linked to arms sales to Taiwan.
According to a statement issued by the Foreign Ministry, the country decided to freeze the movable, immovable and other properties within the national territory of Anduril Industries, Maritime Tactical Systems, Palantir Defense, AEVEX Aerospace, LKD Aerospace and Apex Technology.
These sanctions are in addition to those already imposed last January on five other U.S. companies in the arms sector for the same reason.
The retaliation came after Washington announced a new arms sale to the island, “which constitutes a serious violation of the One China principle and the three China-US joint communiqués”, denounced the Asian giant’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
For Beijing, this position of Washington represents a serious interference in internal affairs and a serious damage to China’s sovereignty and territorial integrity
