China threatened to sanction US companies involved in the sale of weapons to Taiwan on Wednesday after the United States approved an $8 billion (€7.2 billion) arms deal to the island.

The US State Department on Tuesday approved the sale of 66 Lockheed Martin F-16 fighter jets, 75 General Electric engines and other parts and accessories following another military sale to Taiwan last month.

The proposed sale comes as ties between Washington and Beijing are strained over a tit-for-tat trade war and geopolitical competition on the Asia-Pacific region.

China's Foreign Ministry said the proposed arms deal constituted interference in its internal affairs and undermined its sovereignty and security.

"China will take all necessary measures to safeguard our interests including imposing sanctions on the US companies participating in this arms sale to Taiwan," Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said at a news briefing.

China views Taiwan as part of its territory and has vowed to one day reunite the island with the mainland, even with the use of force. The Chinese military regularly enters Taiwan's air space and sends warships to the area in a show of force.

China and Taiwan: Best enemies? Recapturing vs. liberation After the end of WWII, the Communist Party of China (CPC) under Mao Zedong pursued a fierce battle against his archrival Chiang Kai-shek, chief of the Kuomintang (KMT) party. Chiang lost and took refuge in the island of Taiwan. For some time after that, Taiwan was the center of propaganda from both sides. The CPC wanted to "liberate" Taiwan, while Kuomintang wanted to "recapture the mainland."

China and Taiwan: Best enemies? Letters to 'compatriots' In the 1950s, the CPC published four "Messages to Chinese compatriots" in Taiwan, which are considered the basis of Beijing's Taiwan policy. In these texts, Beijing warned Taiwan of collaborating with US "imperialists." Military confrontation, particularly artillery attacks, also continued during this time.

China and Taiwan: Best enemies? Beijing replaces Taipei in UN bodies In 1971, the United Nations General Assembly declared that the People's Republic of China was the sole lawful representative of the country. With this decision, the Republic of China (ROC)/Taiwan was removed from all UN bodies. The frustration of ROC's foreign minister, Chow Shu-kai (right), and his ambassador Liu Chieh is easy to see in this picture.

China and Taiwan: Best enemies? New Taiwan policy The fifth and last "message" from Beijing to Taiwan was published on January 1, 1979. The mainland, under the leadership of the reformist Deng Xiaoping ended military operations, announced the development of bilateral ties and promised peaceful reunification. However, Beijing's right to represent China internationally was not to be questioned.

China and Taiwan: Best enemies? 'One China' policy The new orientation of China's Taiwan policy took place as Washington and Beijing got closer. On January 1, 1979, the US and China resumed diplomatic relations, with Washington under President Jimmy Carter recognizing Beijing as the sole legitimate government of the whole of China. The US embassy in Taiwan was remodeled into an institute for culture.

China and Taiwan: Best enemies? 'One China, two systems' Even before meeting US President Carter, Deng Xiaoping had introduced the principle of "one country, two systems," which allowed Taiwan to maintain its social systems even after reunification. However, Taiwan's President Chiang Ching-Kuo did not immediately fall for it. On the contrary, in 1987 he formulated the principle of "one China for the better system."

China and Taiwan: Best enemies? The independence movement In 1986, the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), Taiwan's first opposition party, was founded. At a meeting in 1991, the DPP declared a clause for Taiwan's independence, which stipulated that Taiwan was sovereign and not a part of China.

China and Taiwan: Best enemies? 'Consensus of 1992' In unofficial Hong Kong talks in 1992, representatives of Taipei and Beijing reached a political agreement on the nature of their relationship. Both parties agreed that there was only one China. However, they had different views on what "One China" meant. A year later, the chief negotiators Wang (left) and Koo met in Singapore.

China and Taiwan: Best enemies? Bilateral relations In an interview with DW in 1995, the first democratically elected President of Taiwan and the KMT leader Lee Teng-hui said that all relations beyond the straits of Taiwan would be "defined as relations between states; at the very least, as a relationship of a special kind between states." His formulation was very close to being a declaration of independence.

China and Taiwan: Best enemies? 'A state on every side' The DPP won the presidential election for the first time in 2000 with Chen Shui-bian, a Taiwanese-born politician who had no connections to mainland China, calling for "a state on each side." It meant that Taiwan should have nothing to do with China anymore. In 2005, Beijing reacted with the Anti-Secession Law, which allowed the use of military force in the event that Taiwan declared independence.

China and Taiwan: Best enemies? 'One China, different interpretations' After losing the elections in 2000, the KMT adopted a changed formulation of the "Consensus of 1992" in the party's statute, which called for "one China, different interpretations." That is why the 1992 Consensus is still debated in Taiwan. The reason: the negotiators of 1992 did not have an official position.

China and Taiwan: Best enemies? CPC meets KMT The mainland adopted the "Consensus of 1992" as a political basis for creating a relationship with Taiwan. In the first summit between the two sides since the communists came to power in China, Hu Jintao (right) and Lian Zhan endorsed the "Consensus of 1992" and the "One China" principle.

China and Taiwan: Best enemies? 'The direction is correct' After KMT's Ma Ying-Jeou won the 2008 presidential elections, both sides continued to come closer. In an interview with DW in 2009, Ma said: "The straits of Taiwan should be a place of peace and security. We have come a lot closer to this goal. Basically our direction is correct."

China and Taiwan: Best enemies? Quo vadis? After the elections in 2016, when President Tsai Ing-wen came to power, the independence movement gained a lot of wind. Tsai disputed the existence of the 1992 consensus and described the "attempt of China to interfere in the political and social development of Taiwan" as the "biggest challenge." Author: Fang Wan (mg)



New air force and defense capabilities

Taiwan already has a fleet of older F-16s purchased in 1992 that has undergone upgrades.

Under the proposed sale, Taiwan would get the advanced F-16 Block 70/72, which includes many technologies not present in earlier models.

Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen said the purchase would help the country develop a new air force and boost air defenses

"With strong self-defense capacity, Taiwan will certainly be more confident to ensure the cross-strait and regional peace and stability while facing security challenges," she said.

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said Tuesday the F-16 sale is "deeply consistent with the arrangements, the historical relationship between the United States and China."

"Our actions are consistent with past US policy," he said. "We are simply following through on the commitments we've made to all of the parties."

In a statement, the Defense Security Cooperation Agency, which oversees US foreign military sales, said the F-16s would "not alter the basic military balance in the region."

"This proposed sale will contribute to the recipient's capability to provide for the defense of its airspace, regional security, and interoperability with the United States," it said.

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cw/sms (AFP, dpa, Reuters)

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