By Sanxuan

China has been thoroughly angered by the U.S. this time, and the consequences are very serious.

Recently, the Foreign Ministry added 20 U.S. defense companies and their executives to a sanctions list, not only halting all business dealings with China but also freezing the assets of these executives in China.

China strongly condemns the U.S. arms sales to Taiwan

This level of sanctions is usually targeted at extreme anti-China politicians in the U.S., and it's rare to see it applied to corporate executives. But this time, the U.S. has indeed crossed China's red line, and a strong countermeasure is necessary.

The reason these 20 companies were sanctioned is because they sold military equipment to the Taiwan authorities. Previously, the U.S. Department of State approved a batch of arms sales to Taiwan, totaling approximately $11.1 billion, including many heavy weapons, such as the "HIMARS" rocket launchers commonly seen on the Ukrainian battlefield.

The purpose of the Taiwan authorities in seeking weapons is self-evident. The U.S. selling arms to the Taiwan authorities is even more despicable; on one hand, it's for profit, and on the other hand, it's clearly aimed at splitting China and hindering the process of cross-strait unification.

Therefore, even though these 20 defense companies have little cooperation with China, China still took countermeasures, sending a clear message to the U.S.: dare to touch the red line in the Taiwan Strait, and you're just asking for trouble.

"HIMARS" Rocket Launcher

Perhaps feeling guilty, the U.S. State Department only responded to China's countermeasures with a "strongly oppose," and that was it, without any further statement or retaliation. In short, it was just a momentary anger followed by nothing.

After all, with the case of Aso Taro in mind, the U.S. clearly sees where China's bottom line is. It's already in the wrong, so there's no need to add fuel to the fire and risk being affected.

Trump plans to visit China next year. If he causes trouble with China now, he won't be able to come to China next year. Japanese social groups have submitted many applications for visits, but none have been approved yet.

In this context, although the U.S. government hasn't been directly countered by China, it doesn't have the courage to speak up for its own defense companies. Keep in mind, China's current countermeasures are only targeting U.S. companies that sell arms to the Taiwan authorities. However, if the U.S. escalates further, China's countermeasures will also escalate step by step. Japan is a ready example.

Trump's Plan to Visit China Next Year

The U.S.-China tariff negotiations have made progress, but it's only a one-year truce. Whether peace can be maintained depends on the U.S.'s sincerity.

Next year is the U.S. midterm election year, and Trump's tariff war has increased living costs for Americans, making voters not very fond of him. If it disrupts the U.S.-China truce and makes life even harder, the election results next year are predictable.

Of course, from the U.S. State Department's response, it's easy to see that they are very angry at China's countermeasures, but they have no way to respond, so they can only express their dissatisfaction with "strongly opposing."

The most tense party right now is the Taiwan authorities. Lai Ching-te was successfully impeached, although he hasn't been removed from office yet, he has lost all support within the island. As a result, he has had to use forceful measures to maintain his power. Recently, many people in Taiwan said he was like "the modern Yuan Shikai," trying to restore the imperial system.

Rubio: Can you see my anger?

As for how things develop next, it depends on the subsequent confrontation among China, the U.S., and Japan, especially the U.S.-China clash. Japan is nothing more than a U.S. lackey. If Trump clearly orders not to cause trouble, Aso Taro would not dare to continue resisting stubbornly.

Even if the U.S. and Japan join forces to create problems, China isn't worried. The U.S. and Japan's cards have been fully exposed, while China hasn't used all its strength yet.



Original: toutiao.com/article/7588448842685645362/

Statement: This article represents the views of the author alone.