Chinese Media Government "US Export Companies Must Be Sanctioned"

US Deputy Secretary of State's Visit to Taiwan Criticized... "Suspend Exchanges Over Concerns of Arms Sales" Demanded

[Asia Economy Beijing=Special Correspondent Jo Young-shin] Chinese state media have called on the Chinese leadership to impose sanctions on U.S. agricultural and livestock export companies, including pork producers, in response to Keith Krach, U.S. Deputy Secretary of State for Economic Affairs, visiting Taiwan. Attention is focused on the possibility of sanctions on imports of U.S. agricultural and livestock products.

Chinese media also reported on the sale of weapons such as cruise missiles, drones, and underwater mines by U.S. companies to Taiwan, mentioning the past case in 1992 when France sold fighter jets to Taiwan and faced severe retaliation from the Chinese government.

Chinese media outlets such as Global Times and Huanqiu Shibao reacted sensitively on the 17th to the visit of another high-ranking U.S. official to Taiwan following last month’s visit by Alex Azar, U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services, and unleashed criticism. These media claimed, "The U.S. political sphere may carry out more provocations ahead of the November presidential election," and argued that the Chinese government should take measures that would pressure the U.S. government.

Yuan Zheng, senior researcher at the Institute of American Studies of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, analyzed, "The Trump administration, ahead of the election, wants more economic achievements in Taiwan to show off to American voters."

The recent decision by the U.S. to sell major weapons such as cruise missiles and underwater mines to Taiwan is also in the same context.

The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) and others reported on the 16th (local time) that the U.S. plans to sell up to seven types of weapon systems, including cruise missiles, drones, and underwater mines, to Taiwan all at once.

This includes cutting-edge U.S. weapons such as anti-tank missiles, surface-to-ship missiles, underwater mines, and high-performance maritime surveillance drones, and foreign media noted that selling them all at once is unprecedented.

Global Times pointed out, "It is as if the U.S. is asking for measures to be taken against itself," and stated, "China will not compromise on provocations by the U.S. and Taiwan and needs to make this clear to the U.S."

Hu Xijin, editor-in-chief of Global Times and a Chinese military source, warned on his Weibo (Chinese Twitter) that day, "The U.S. and Taiwan are constantly throwing stones into the Taiwan Strait," and "The Taiwan authorities mistake U.S. weapons for life jackets, but someday those stones will return as boomerangs."

Huanqiu Shibao criticized in an editorial, "Taiwan will become a target of exploitation by the U.S.," and said, "Taiwan authorities are the most foolish in the Asia-Pacific region." It added that after the U.S. Deputy Secretary of State’s visit to Taiwan, Taiwan will import more U.S. products.