Archyde.com exclusively reported on Tuesday (13th) that in order to deter Beijing from aggression against Taiwan, the United States is considering a plan to sanction China, and the European Union is also considering follow-up.
As military tensions across the Taiwan Strait rise, Washington is evaluating lobbying EU diplomats, while Taipei has already started lobbying, though both are still in their early stages.
At present, Western countries have imposed some trade and investment restrictions on China, mainly targeting sensitive technologies such as computer chips and telecommunications equipment, and the sanctions under evaluation will not be limited to the above-mentioned areas.
Some analysts believe that China’s military sector could be the area targeted by potential sanctions. “Discussions on initial sanctions may include restricting China’s access to certain technologies needed for military operations against Taiwan,” said Craig Singleton of the Foundation for the Defense of Democracy (FDD).
The people familiar with the matter declined to provide details of the deliberations, but he said the feasibility of imposing sanctions on China has been called into question because China is not only the world’s second-largest economy but also an important link in the supply chain.
Nazak Nikakhtar, a former U.S. Commerce Department official, said: “Given the interconnectedness of the U.S. and U.S. allies with the Chinese economy, potential sanctions against China are far more complex to enforce than sanctions against Russia.”
Washington officials are assessing sanctions aimed at deterring Beijing from trying to invade Taiwan, according to people familiar with the matter. Discussions have been underway since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February, but the urgency of the matter has been heightened by a visit to Taiwan by U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.
Non-U.S. officials said the White House was trying to secure a consensus with European and Asian countries while avoiding angering Beijing.
Six sources who listened to Taiwan’s discussion of the content of the briefing revealed that Taiwan had brought potential sanctions to European officials after Russia invaded Ukraine, but China’s recent military exercises have strengthened Taiwan’s position and exchanges between Taiwan and European officials have become more frequent. .
To reach a consensus on sanctions in the EU requires the unanimous consent of the 27 member states, so even sanctions against Russia face considerable obstacles. In addition, EU officials have so far been reluctant to impose tougher sanctions on China on human rights issues.
Archyde.com reported that Taiwan did not make specific demands, except for possible European actions planned for a potential Chinese invasion of Taiwan, as well as private warnings that China would suffer the consequences of its actions.