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This is the second time that China has imposed sanctions on the American arms company Lockheed Martin.
China announced on Monday October 26 that it had imposed sanctions on US companies Lockheed Martin, Boeing Defense and Raytheon for their connection to a preliminary agreement to sell arms to Taiwan worth $ 1.8 billion (€ 1.519 million). ).
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian, quoted by the Global Times, said on Monday that the sanctions are “in response to the arms sale” and also affect “other individuals and entities”, although he did not specify the details. .
Zhao announced last week that China would give a “legitimate response” after the US State Department announced its intention to sell three batches of weapons to Taiwan, including SLAM-ER missiles and Himars units, a system multiple light missile.
For the sale to materialize, it must be approved by both the US Congress and the Taiwanese legislature, according to the official Taiwanese agency CNA.
This is the second time that China has imposed sanctions on the American arms company Lockheed Martin.
The first time was in July of this year, when it reached a preliminary agreement with Taiwan worth $ 620 million to repair and refine the PAC-3 missiles.
Last week the US Agency for Security and Defense Cooperation notified the US Congress of its sales plan to “support Taiwan’s continuing efforts to modernize its military and maintain its defensive capabilities. “, as well as” to help maintain political stability and military balance in the region “.
Similarly, Taiwanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson Joanne Ou, quoted by CNA, said her department has received a formal arms sale proposal, which would be the eighth since US President Donald Trump. rose to power.
For his part, his Chinese counterpart, Xi Jinping, last week urged his troops to be “combat ready” and said that “a strong country is defined by a strong army that can win.
In addition, the Hong Kong newspaper South China Morning Post recently assured that “Beijing is advancing in the militarization of its southeastern coast to prepare for a possible invasion of Taiwan” according to Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) sources, which he would have deployed hypersonic missiles there. Mid-range DF-17.
According to the Global Times, these missiles can play “an important role in stopping foreign forces from the United States, Japan, South Korea or Australia if they attempt to interfere in China’s internal affairs.”
Taiwan has been considered a sovereign territory with its own government and political system under the name of ROC since the end of the civil war between nationalists and communists in 1949, but Beijing claims it is a rebellious province and insists it return to what it is. called common homeland.
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