Zhao did not give further details on the sanctions. In response, Beijing on Monday said it would impose sanctions on Lockheed Martin, a Boeing defense division and other US firms involved the arms sale.Ĭhinese foreign ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian said the sanctions were "to safeguard national interests" and would apply to those who have "behaved badly in the process of arms sales to Taiwan." Last Wednesday, the US said it had approved the $1 billion sale of 135 precision-guided, air-launched AGM-84H SLAM-ER cruise missiles - which unlike the Harpoon have a range greater than the width of the Taiwan Strait that separates the island from mainland China. They have vowed to one day seize the island, by force if necessary.īeijing has ramped up diplomatic and military pressure on Taiwan since the 2016 election of President Tsai Ing-wen, who views the island as a de facto sovereign nation and not part of "one China."Ĭhinese fighter jets and bombers have entered Taiwan's air defense zone with increasing frequency in recent months, while propaganda films have shown simulated attacks on Taiwan-like territories. Last Updated on: Mawith Boston Whaler Harpoon 5.The missiles, manufactured by Boeing, can be positioned on fixed platforms or mounted on trucks.ĭemocratic and self-ruled Taiwan lives under constant threat of invasion by authoritarian China, whose leaders view the island as part of their territory. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |