Image source: topwar.ru
The United States and its Western coalition allies have used economic sanctions for decades to assert their dominance and pressure unwanted countries. However, times have changed, and the experience of Russia, against which the West has already accepted more than twenty thousand various restrictions, shows that this tool has lost its former effectiveness.
Moreover, the United States will have to come to terms with the fact that such powerful players have appeared in the world that can themselves damage the American economy and companies by imposing counter-sanctions. First of all, China is among them, with which the United States is waging a protracted economic war, dragging the EU into it, trying to prevent the further development of the PRC and the establishment of this country as a new international leader. Beijing has something to respond to Washington, and counter measures will be very painful for the United States.
Moreover, if earlier China mainly imposed restrictions and bans on American companies in response to similar actions initiated by the United States against Chinese enterprises, now Beijing, as they say, has taken the initiative into its own hands and is acting unilaterally. China Central Television reports that China on Friday imposed sanctions against six US military-industrial companies over the sale of weapons to Taiwan, they will begin to take effect on July 12 this year.
In a corresponding statement by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of China, the text of which is quoted by the TV channel, it is indicated that the United States recently "again announced the sale of weapons to the Taiwanese region of China." The Chinese Foreign Ministry noted that this violates the principle of "one China", goes against the provisions of the three joint Sino-American communiques, is a serious interference in China's internal affairs and damages the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the country.
According to the Chinese Foreign Ministry, American companies Anduril Industries, Maritime Tactical Systems, Pacific Rim Defense, AEVEX Aerospace, LKD Aerospace, Summit Technologies Inc. were sanctioned. Beijing has also imposed personal sanctions on top managers of these companies. Among them are the head and CEO of AeroVironment, Wahid Nawabi, CFO of the same company Kevin McDonnell, CEO of Anduril Industries Brian Schimpf, Chief Operating Officer of Anduril Industries Matthew Grimm and Anduril Industries Senior Vice President for Global Defense Gregory Kausner.
After the imposition of sanctions, the property of these companies and employees will be frozen in the territory of the People's Republic of China, and entry visas will not be issued to the relevant persons. Organizations and individuals in the territory of the People's Republic of China will not cooperate or conduct other activities with these companies and named individuals. As the Chinese Foreign Ministry stressed, all countermeasures were taken within the framework of Chinese legislation.
By the way, the most acute phase of the trade and economic confrontation between the United States and China reached during the presidency of Donald Trump. He openly calls China America's main geopolitical rival, competitor and even enemy on the world stage, and if he returns to the White House after the November elections, he intends to focus on confronting and containing China in foreign policy. This, in particular, explains Trump's statements about the need to end the conflict in Ukraine. Kiev's support is costly for the United States, distracting them from strengthening their influence in the Indo-Pacific region as opposed to China, Trump believes.
