Sources familiar with the discussions stated that the United States is considering measures to deter China from invading Taiwan, while the European Union is also being pressured diplomatically by Taipei. They added that Washington’s deliberations and Taipei’s separate lobbying of European Union envoys were at an initial stage – a response to concerns of a Chinese invasion that have matured as military tensions in the Taiwan Strait have increased.

United States officials have been discussing options for a sanctions package against China to deter China from invading Taiwan, and the European Union has been under diplomatic pressure from Taiwan to do the same to deter the Chinese from invading the island.#sanctionspackage pic.twitter.com/R6xnQ4F05P

— Live News Now (@LiveNewsNow6) September 14, 2022

To restrict trade and investment with China in sensitive technologies such as computer chips and telecom equipment, sanctions beyond those already taken in the West are proposed in both cases. Despite the lack of details about what is being discussed, the idea of sanctions on the world’s second-largest economy and one of the largest links in the global supply chain raises some concerns.

Beijing Launched Missiles over Taiwan

The imposition of sanctions on China would be far more complicated than sanctions on Russia because of the deep ties between the U.S. and its allies and the Chinese economic system, said Nazak Nikakhtar, a former senior United States Commerce Department official. China, on the other hand, claims Taiwan as its own territory. Following U.S. House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s visit to Taipei last month, Beijing launched missiles over the island and warships across their unofficial sea border.

In his campaign for power, Chinese President Xi Jinping vowed to use force to regain control of democratically run Taiwan. A Communist Party congress is scheduled for next month, where he will be re-elected for a third five-year term. In response to China’s sovereignty claims, Taiwan’s government strongly rejects them. Washington is considering several options for a potential package of sanctions against China to deter Xi from attempting to invade Taiwan, a United States official and an official from a country working closely with Washington said.

As a result of the Chinese reaction to Pelosi’s visit, U.S. discussions over sanctions took on new urgency following the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February. A similar threat of unspecified sanctions, backed by NATO allies, was made by the U.S. to Russia in January, but it failed to dissuade the Russian leader from invading Ukraine.

An official from a non-US country told the Times that the White House wants to get countries on the same page, including European and Asian coordination and avoiding provocations from Beijing. Some analysts have suggested that China’s military could be the target of specific sanctions under consideration, but Reuters could not get details on what specific sanctions might be proposed.

Chinese War Games Against Taiwan

“Sanctions conversations will likely focus on curbing China’s access to specific technologies needed for sustaining military operations against Taiwan,” said Craig Singleton of the Foundation for Defense of Democracies. Neither the White House nor the press office was available for comment. According to Taiwan’s Foreign Ministry, the U.S., Europe, and other like-minded partners had discussed China’s recent war games and the large challenges they pose to Taiwan and the region. However, they could not provide any further information.

Reuters cited six sources briefed on Taiwan-Europe discussions as saying Taiwan had already discussed sanctions after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, but China’s recent military exercises have reinforced Taiwan’s position. In recent weeks, top Taiwanese officials have intensified their calls for sanctions preparations. In addition, the Chinese government has redoubled its efforts with Europe in response to a recent white paper that withdraws a promise not to send troops or administrators to Taiwan if Beijing takes control of it.

All 27 E.U. Member States Should Agree to Impose Sanctions

A source briefed on the discussions said Taiwan has not asked for anything specific, only for Europe to plan its response to China’s attack. Taiwan has asked Europe to warn China privately that it would suffer the consequences of an attack. One person familiar with the matter says E.U. officials have avoided tough sanctions against China on human rights issues because the country contributes more to the bloc’s economy than Russia.

All 27 E.U. member countries would have to agree to impose sanctions on China, which is sometimes difficult; imposing sanctions on Russia after its invasion of Ukraine was particularly tough due to Germany’s dependence on Russia’s gas. The European Union, apart from the Vatican, maintains formal diplomatic relations with Beijing but not with Taipei. Although Taiwanese and European officials have been in extensive private contact ever since China began its military exercises.

Source: Web: The US Approves Likely $1.1bn Arms Sale to Taiwan