China has announced sanctions.Image: GETTY IMAGES
China penalises five US defence companies for selling weapons to Taiwan.
Five Western defence companies have been subject to penalties by China as a result of the most recent round of US arms sales to Taiwan.
The declaration is made just before Taiwan’s scheduled presidential and legislative elections for January 13.
Beijing and Washington often find themselves at odds over US weaponry shipments to Taiwan.
Taiwan’s government disputes China’s view that democratically run Taiwan is part of its territory.
A $300 million (£236 million) equipment transaction to support the upkeep of Taiwan’s tactical information systems was approved by the US State Department last month.
On Sunday, the Chinese Foreign Ministry issued a statement stating that the penalties were implemented “In response to these gravely wrong actions taken by the US”.
It further stated that the latest shipments of weapons “undermine the peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait and seriously harm China’s sovereignty and security interests.”
BAE Systems Land and Armament, Alliant Techsystems Operation, AeroVironment, ViaSat, and Data Link Solutions were the companies that were sanctioned.
According to the Foreign Ministry, China would seize the companies’ assets and forbid Chinese individuals and organisations from doing business with them.
In anticipation of the elections that may reshape Taiwan’s relationship with China, Beijing has increased its pressure on the island.
Chinese President Xi Jinping restated his assertion that Taiwan would “certainly be reunified” with China in his yearly New Year’s Eve speech.
His remarks on Taiwan being a member of the “same family” also had a more forceful tone than in his speech from the previous year.
The 23 million-person self-governing island is viewed by China as a breakaway province that it would inevitably annexe.
Taiwan, which has democratically elected authorities and its own constitution, regards itself as separate from the Chinese mainland.