As the US recently declared a new round of arms sale to Taiwan and sanctions against Chinese companies and individuals under various excuses, China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced sanctions against five US defense companies on January 7, issuing a stern warning to those in the US who use the Taiwan question to interfere in China's internal affairs.
针对美方近期出台新一轮对台军售并以各种借口制裁中国企业和个人,中国外交部7日宣布对5家美国军工企业实施制裁,对美方一些人借台湾问题干涉中国内政的严正警告。
The five US defense companies sanctioned by China are BAE Systems Land and Armaments, Alliant Techsystems Operations, AeroVironment, Viasat, and Data Link Solutions. They have one thing in common, that is, they all have a bad record in selling arms to Taiwan.
5家被中方制裁的美国军工企业分别是：贝宜陆上和武器系统公司、联合技术系统运营公司、宇航环境公司、ViaSat公司和Data Link Solutions公司，它们有个共同点：在对台售武方面都是“劣迹斑斑”。
BAE Systems, for example, plans to deliver armored recovery vehicles and new amphibious vehicles to Taiwan this year and is negotiating with the Taiwan's military on the export of self-propelled howitzers. AeroVironment also has the plan to provide Taiwan with its Switchblade loitering munition systems. The Link-16 tactical data link from Data Link Solutions has been adopted by multiple battle command elements of Taiwan's military. Viasat has also sold its multifunctional information distribution system to Taiwan’s military to provide electronic intelligence on the battlefield.
比如，贝宜公司计划今年向台湾交付装甲抢救车、新型两栖作战车辆，并正与台军磋商自行榴弹炮出口事宜。宇航环境公司计划向台方提供“弹簧刀”巡飞弹。来自Data Link Solutions公司的Link-16战术数据链，被台军多个作战指挥部门使用。ViaSat公司则向台军出售了在战场上提供电子情资的“多功能信息分发系统”。
Experts revealed that all the five companies have been involved in the latest US arms sale program to Taiwan. In mid-December last year, the US Department of Defense announced the approval of a USD 300 million sale of equipment to China's Taiwan region, which is the 12th arms sale to Taiwan since the current US administration took office.
The US action violates the one-China principle and the stipulations of the three China-US joint communiqués, especially the August 17 Communiqué, as well as the political commitment made by the US leader at the China-US summit in San Francisco. It shows once again that some people in the US have been backpedaling and breaking their words on the Taiwan question.
专家透露，这5家军工企业都参与美国最新对台军售项目中。去年12月中旬，美国国防部宣布批准向中国台湾地区出售3亿美元的设备，这是本届美国政府执政以来，美方第12次对台军售。美方的行为，违反了一个中国原则和中美三个联合公报、特别是“八·一七”公报规定，也违背了美国领导人在中美元首旧金山会晤中作出的政治承诺，再次说明美方一些人在台湾问题上出尔反尔、不守信用。
The US side said that the arms sale aimed to promote command, control, communications, and other capabilities of Taiwan's military, and strengthen Taiwan’s so-called defensive capabilities. Previously, the US arms sales to Taiwan consisted primarily of main-battle weapons such as aircraft, missiles, and UAVs. It is believed that warfighting capabilities are formed based on an integrated system composed of communications, electronics, command, control, and cyber elements.
美方称，此次对台军售的目的是提升台湾军方指挥、控制、通信等方面的能力，强化台湾所谓“防卫能力”。美国以往对台军售主要是飞机、导弹、无人机等主战武器。而作战力量的形成，有赖于通信、电子、指挥、控制、网络组成一个完整体系。
China has reiterated on various occasions that the Taiwan question is the core of China’s core interests, the political foundation of China-US relations, and the first red line in China-US relations that cannot be crossed. In response to US arms sales to Taiwan, China has imposed sanctions on major US defense companies in recent years. The sanctions announced by the Chinese side this time include freezing any movable, immovable, and other types of property the companies have in China, and prohibiting organizations and individuals in China from engaging in business and cooperation with them.
中方多次声明，台湾问题是中国核心利益中的核心，是中美关系的政治基础，是中美关系第一条不可逾越的红线。针对美方对台军售，中方近年来多次对美国大型军工企业实施制裁。这一次，中方公布的制裁措施包括：冻结相关企业在中国境内的动产、不动产和其他各类财产，禁止中国境内组织、个人与其进行交易、合作等活动。
According to expert analysis, China's countermeasures, following the US’ obstinate attempt to play the Taiwan card, are justified, reasonable, precise, and effective. For the five US defense companies sanctioned this time, most of which have cooperative projects in China, benefits from economic cooperation with China weigh much more than from arms sales to China's Taiwan region. China's series of targeted sanctions therefore will more easily hit their sore spots. Furthermore, as US weapons are delivered to Taiwan successively, it is the precise timing that China announced the countermeasures. China will not rule out tougher countermeasures in case military collusion between the US and Taiwan continues to escalate.
专家分析称，美方执意“打台湾牌”在先，中方反击在后，正当合理、精准有力。这次制裁的5家美国军工企业普遍在中国有合作项目，比起对台军售的收益，它们对华经济合作的收益更大，中方一系列精准制裁，更容易打到它们的“痛处”。此外，随着美国向台湾交付的武器陆续到位，中方宣布反制举措的时机也很精准。如果美台军事勾连继续升级，中方不排除出台更严厉的反制措施。
The US should seriously honor its commitment to the one-China principle and not support "Taiwan independence". Facts will prove that no matter how many weapons the US provides to the Taiwan region, it will not be able to stop the historical process of China's reunification.
美方应把坚持一个中国政策、不支持“台独”等承诺落到实处。事实将证明，无论美方向台湾地区提供多少武器，都阻止不了中国统一的历史进程。
(The author is a commentator of the International Review on CCTV News Client)
(央视新闻客户端国际锐评评论员)
Editor's note: Originally published on chinanews.com, this article is translated from Chinese into English and edited by the China Military Online. The information and opinions in this article do not necessarily reflect the views of eng.chinamil.com.cn.
