The measures are in retaliation for the sale of weapons to Taipei, Beijing has said

China has slapped sanctions on 20 additional US weapons manufacturers and ten executives in retaliation for the latest US arms sale to Taiwan.

The Chinese Foreign Ministry announced the measures on Friday, which expand an existing blacklist targeting the US defense sector. Beijing said it was responding to actions that undermine its sovereignty over Taiwan under the One-China policy.

Last week, US President Donald Trump approved the sale of $11.1 billion worth of weapons to Taiwan - the largest arms package for the self-governing island ever, and the second since he took office in January. Taipei said the deal includes HIMARS rocket systems, howitzers, Javelin anti-tank missiles, Altius loitering munition drones, and other hardware.

Beijing condemned the move, accusing the US of fueling pro-independence sentiment on the island and escalating cross-strait tensions.

Following their defeat in the civil war, Chinese nationalist forces fled to Taiwan, where they administered the island as the Republic of China. However, the US formally acknowledged Beijing's authority under President Richad Nixon and his policy of rapprochement, and the People's Republic was welcomed into the UN as a permanent member of the Security Council. Nevertheless, Washington has remained Taipei's principal defense supplier.

China says its goal is peaceful reunification, but has repeatedly warned it would use force if the island's authorities formally declare independence.

Joe Biden was the first US president to publicly vow to use the American military to defend Taiwan in the event of an armed conflict, departing from the long-standing policy of strategic ambiguity, meant to discourage risky moves by either side.

Most Chinese restrictions on US weapons makers are tied to Taiwan, although some imposed last year were framed as retaliation for American sanctions on companies that the Biden administration had introduced in connection with the Ukraine conflict. Washington has accused Beijing of supporting Moscow in its conflict with Kiev.

(RT.com)