BEIJING: China has decided to impose countermeasures against 13 U.S. military companies and six senior corporate executives, starting December 5, over the sale of arms to the Taiwan region, the Chinese Foreign Ministry announced on Thursday.
The U.S. recently announced arms sales to China’s Taiwan region, which seriously violates the one-China principle and the three China-U.S. joint communiques, severely interferes in China’s internal affairs, and seriously undermines China’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, the Chinese Foreign Ministry said in a statement.
Elaborating on the countermeasures, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian said at a regular press conference on Thursday that the Taiwan question is at the core of China’s core interests.
Pursuant to its anti-foreign sanctions law, China decided to take countermeasures against the U.S. military companies and senior executives, he pointed out.
“Taiwan secessionists” and peace in the Taiwan Straits are as irreconcilable as fire and water, Lin said.
He noted that the U.S.’s intention to help advance the “Taiwan secessionists'” agenda by arming Taiwan will not shake China’s firm determination to oppose the “Taiwan secessionists'” agenda and achieve national reunification and will only push Taiwan into a perilous situation of war and conflict.
The spokesperson again urged the U.S. to earnestly adhere to the one-China principle and the three China-U.S. joint communiques, especially the provisions of the August 17 communique of 1982.
He also said the U.S. should act on its leaders’ commitment to not supporting the “Taiwan secessionists'” agenda and should stop arming Taiwan immediately.
China remains committed to high-level opening up, says Wang Yi
China is committed to development through high-level opening up and will continue to foster a business environment that is market-oriented, law-based and internationalized, promote high-quality Belt and Road cooperation, and implement the Global Development Initiative, Foreign Minister Wang Yi said in Beijing on Wednesday.
Wang, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, made the remarks at a promotional event hosted by the Foreign Ministry to present the Hainan Free Trade Port to the world.
He said that the construction of the Hainan Free Trade Port has gained momentum and the region has attracted an increasing number of regional and global enterprises to invest and operate business, presenting a new and dynamic environment of openness and progress.
The Hainan Free Trade Port has become a new frontier of China’s institutional opening up, a new hotspot for regional mutually beneficial cooperation and a new engine driving economic globalization, Wang said.
“Seeing is believing, and everyone is welcome to visit Hainan and gain firsthand experience,” he added.
Wang said China will adhere to open, innovative, green, inclusive and peaceful development.
“Choosing China means choosing opportunities, and embracing China means embracing the future,” he said.
At the event, major officials from the island province of Hainan were invited to make presentations to more than 500 attendees, including diplomats and officials from over 160 countries, representatives from international organizations, central and local government officials, and representatives from enterprises, international trade associations, and domestic and foreign media outlets.
In June 2020, China released a master plan aimed at building the whole of Hainan into a globally influential and high-level free trade port by the middle of the century.
