China will proceed with the imposition of sanctions against five American manufacturers in retaliation for the most recent US arms sale to Taiwan, a Foreign Ministry spokesman in Beijing announced yesterday.

Arms sales from Washington to Taipei are a source of frequent tensions with Beijing. China considers Taiwan its province, whereas the island’s current government rejects the Chinese position.

The sanctions are announced days before Taiwan holds presidential and parliamentary elections on Saturday, January 13. For Beijing, the choice is between peace or war.

In December, the State Department approved armament sales worth $300 million to Taiwan, particularly to help it maintain military IT systems.

For Chinese diplomacy, the recent sale seriously undermines China’s national sovereignty and national security interests, endangering peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait. The companies to be sanctioned are BAE Systems Land and Armaments, Alliant Techsystems Operations, AeroVironment, Viasat, and Data Link Solutions.

The authorities in Beijing will freeze any resources of these companies in their jurisdiction and will prohibit any natural or legal person in China from transacting with them, according to the statement of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

The US embassy in Beijing has not yet responded to Reuters’ request for comment on the development.

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