US sees China sanctions as a deterrent to Taiwan’s actions, Taiwan puts pressure on EU

WASHINGTON: The US is considering options for a sanctions package against China to deter it from invading Taiwan, and the European Union is under diplomatic pressure from Taipei to do the same, sources familiar with the discussions say. Is receiving.

Separate lobbying efforts for EU envoys in Washington and Taipei are both in their early stages, sources said, raising concerns about a Chinese aggression amid rising military tensions in the Taiwan Strait.

In both cases, the idea is to take sanctions beyond those already in place in the West to restrict trade and investment with China in sensitive technology such as computer chips and communications equipment.

The sources have not provided details of what is being considered, but the concept of sanctions against the world’s second-largest economy and one of the largest links in the world’s supply chains is far from feasible. I am questioning.

“Given the extensive entanglement of the United States and its allies with the Chinese economy, the prospect of sanctions against China is a far more complex exercise than sanctions against Russia,” said Nazak Nikaftar, a former senior U.S. Commerce Department official. will be,” he said.

China claims Taiwan as its own territory and launched missiles over the island last month, launching missiles over the island and ripping off the unofficial beach after visiting Taipei for what U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi saw as a provocation last month. I sailed on a warship.

Chinese President Xi Jinping has vowed to reunite democratically ruled Taiwan with the mainland and has not ruled out the use of force. He plans to secure his third leadership term for five years at next month’s Communist Party Congress.

In Washington, officials are weighing options for a possible series of sanctions against China to deter President Xi from invading Taiwan, he said, collaborating closely with U.S. officials and Washington. country officials said.

U.S. talks on sanctions began after Russia invaded Ukraine in February, but took on new urgency after China’s reaction to Pelosi’s visit, two sources said.

The United States, with the support of its NATO allies, took a similar approach against Russia in January, threatening unspecified sanctions, which would threaten Russian President Vladimir Putin to launch an invasion of Ukraine. could not be discouraged.

The White House is focused on coordinating between Europe and Asia and putting countries on the same page, including avoiding provoking Beijing, said a senior official outside the United States.

Reuters was unable to provide details on exactly what sanctions were being considered, but some analysts suggested China’s military could be a focus.

Craig Singleton of the Foundation for Defense of Democracy said: “In the big picture, the initial sanctions talks are centered around limiting China’s access to certain technologies needed to sustain military operations against Taiwan. It is likely to spread to .”

The White House declined to comment.

Taiwan’s foreign ministry said it had discussed China’s recent war exercises and the “great challenge” China poses to Taiwan and the region with the United States, Europe and other like-minded partners, but did not give details. rice field.

China’s foreign ministry and the Chinese embassy in Washington did not immediately respond to requests for comment.