China confirmed on Tuesday its decision to impose sanctions against U.S. suppliers of arms to Taiwan.

Beijing warned Washington last weekend that its $6.3-billion deal to sell arms to Taiwan could impair bilateral relations already marred by Chinese cyber attacks on Google and China’s pressuring for a diplomatic solution to the Iranian nuclear problem.

"We strongly urge relevant U.S. companies to stop pushing forward and taking part in the arms sales to Taiwan," Ma Zhaoxu, China’s Foreign Ministry spokesman, said.

Last Tuesday, the Chinese diplomat said Beijing’s position on the issue was "consistent, unequivocal and firm."

Although Taiwan has had an independent government since the end of the Chinese civil war in 1949, China has considered the island group part of its territory.

The 1979 Taiwan Relations Act stipulates that the United States is "to provide Taiwan with arms of a defensive character."

==

Related articles:
– U.S.-China Military Tensions Grow, by Rick Rozoff, Voltaire Network; 1 February 2010.
– Google Attacks China as Washington-Beijing Hostility Deepens, by Webster G. Tarpley, Voltaire Network, 21 January 2010.

Source
RIA Novosti (Russia)