China Warns US of 'Consequences' if Military Sanctions Not Withdrawn
China's Foreign ministry spokesperson Geng Shuang said Beijing will not remain a mute spectator to the high-handedness and unilateral approach exhibited by the US.
Beijing, Sept 21: A day after being slapped with military sanctions by the United States, China struck back, warning Washington of "consequences" if the adverse measure is not withdrawn.
China's Foreign ministry spokesperson Geng Shuang said Beijing will not remain a mute spectator to the high-handedness and unilateral approach exhibited by the US.
"We strongly urge the US to immediately correct their mistake and withdraw their so-called sanctions, otherwise the US will have to bear the consequences," Shuang was reported as saying by news agencies.
The military sanctions were imposed on China for buying Sukhoi Su-35 fighter jets and S-400 surface-to-air missiles. The sanctions have been particularly slapped on the Equipment Development Department (EDD) of the Chinese military, which was constituted in 2016 by President Xi Jinping to procure arms and defense systems.
The sanctions were imposed by the US State Department, invoking Section 231 of Countering America’s Adversaries Through Sanctions Act of 2017 (CAATSA). The legislation allows Washington to take action against third nations involved in military dealings with an adversary of the US. This marks the first instance of sanctions being issued under the CAATSA.
"The actions of the US side have grossly violated the basic principles of international relations . The actions of the US side significantly undermine relations between the armed forces of China and the United States," said the statement issued by the Chinese military office.
The Pentagon, however, claims to be unaffected by the warning issued by Beijing. "The Department of Defense won’t speculate on potential impacts these sanctions could have on mil-mil relations," said Pentagon spokesperson Lieutenant Colonel Christopher Logan.
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Sep 21, 2018 06:22 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).