China Warns US Not to Implement Taiwan Aid, TikTok Sale

A Chinese spokesman suggested on Monday that Beijing could hit back at the US if it implements two China-related bills passed by Congress last week that it strongly opposes.

A package of legislation endorsed by Congress included funding to boost Taiwan’s military defences, plus a law that requires TikTok to divest its social media media platform in America.

US President Joe Biden signed the legislation on the military aid package on Wednesday, with most of the money going to Ukraine to help it fend off Russia’s invasion and to Israel.

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The bills included $61 billion in aid to Ukraine and $26 billion for Israel, as well as $1 billion in humanitarian assistance to Gaza.

‘Negative, China-related’ moves

But $8 billion in military aid was also endorsed for Taiwan, to counter China’s military might. That element in the package is seen by China as a “red line” the US should not cross.

Biden also signed a separate bill tied to the aid legislation that bans TikTok in the United States if its Chinese owner ByteDance fails to divest the app over the next nine months to a year.

Speaking in Beijing, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian urged the United States not to implement the “negative, China-related” parts of the legislation.

“If the United States clings obstinately to its course, China will take resolute and forceful steps to firmly defend its own security and development interests,” Lin said, without elaborating.

The United States is Taiwan’s most important international backer and arms supplier even in the absence of formal diplomatic ties.

China, which views Taiwan as its own territory, has repeatedly demanded that arms sales must stop.

Taiwan’s democratically-elected government, which rejects China’s sovereignty claims, has welcomed the new legislation saying it will help maintain security in the region.