Credit:

January 30, 2010
by Keith Bradsher



 

HONG KONG — The Chinese government announced late Saturday an unusually broad series of retaliatory measures in response to the latest United States arms sales to Taiwan, including sanctions against American companies that supply the weapon systems for the arms sales.

The Foreign Ministry announced in a pair of statements from Beijing that some military exchange programs between the United States and China would be canceled in addition to the commercial sanctions.
 

Vice foreign minister, He Yafei, called in Jon M. Huntsman Jr., Ambassador to China, to protest.

Mr. He - "The American decision to sell more weapons to Taiwan constitutes gross intervention into China’s internal affairs, seriously endangering China’s national security."

The $6.4 billion deal includes 60 Black Hawk helicopters, Patriot interceptor missiles, advanced Harpoon missiles that can be used against land or ship targets and two refurbished minesweepers.

Restrictions on the Chinese operations of American companies involved in the arms sales represents an unusual twist.

The Foreign Ministry’s statement that mentioned the commercial sanctions was vague, providing no details on the restrictions that would be imposed on these companies’ business dealings in China or even what companies would be involved.

The United States has occasionally imposed bans on exports to the United States by Chinese companies that have violated international agreements on weapons proliferation, most notably penalizing Chinese companies involved in alleged surreptitious shipments of medium-range missiles to Pakistan.

 

Credit:

http://www.pj6.com/14/NYTCore.htm