Taiwan says China sanctions on European arms makers will not hit weapons sourcing
New Delhi: Taiwan’s Defence Minister Wellington Koo on Monday played down the impact of China’s sanctions on seven European companies over arms sales to Taipei, saying it was not the first time China had taken such action and it would not hinder the island’s ability to procure weapons.
China’s Commerce Ministry on Friday placed the firms on its export control list, banning exports of dual-use items to them in a rare instance of Europe-focused sanctions linked to Taiwan.
Taiwan, which China views as its own territory, sources the majority of its defence equipment from the United States. European countries have largely avoided major arms sales—such as fighter jets—to Taiwan for around three decades, wary of provoking China.
Speaking in parliament, Koo said such measures were not new and would have limited practical impact.
“However, I think such an action, as I understand it, does not affect our ability to continue sourcing goods through relevant diversified channels,” he added, without elaborating.
Although many European nations remain cautious about defence ties with Taiwan due to potential Chinese retaliation, Taipei has gained growing support in parts of Central and Eastern Europe, particularly following the Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
Notably, four of the seven sanctioned firms are from the Czech Republic.
China has also repeatedly sanctioned major U.S. defence contractors over arms sales to Taiwan, most recently in December after Washington approved an $11 billion weapons sale package for the island.
Japan Scraps Arms Exports Controls
Responding to questions on whether Taiwan could explore arms purchases from Japan following Tokyo’s recent relaxation of restrictions on overseas weapons exports, Defence Minister Wellington Koo said such deals would require a formal defence equipment and technology transfer agreement—something that does not currently exist between the two sides.
When asked about the possibility of such an agreement in the future, Koo said, “In the future, no possibility can be ruled out. I think I can only say that at present, no transfer agreement exists”.
While countries like the Philippines have welcomed Japan’s policy shift, China has voiced strong concerns.
Relations between Japan and China have remained strained, particularly after Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi said in November that a Chinese attack on Taiwan posing a threat to Japan’s security could prompt a military response.
(DD News)
