The discussion of sanctions began even after the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
The USA is considering options for introducing sanctions against China deter Beijing from invading Taiwan, and the EU is under diplomatic pressure from the island. Taiwan calls on the EU to warn Beijing of the consequences if force is used. This was reported by Reuters, citing sources.
According to Reuters, the discussions in Washington and separate lobbying of EU representatives by Taiwan are at an early stage in response to fears of a Chinese invasion that have grown as military tensions in the Taiwan Strait have escalated.
In both cases, the idea is to , to impose sanctions on top of steps already taken in the West to restrict certain types of trade with China and investment in technologies such as computer chips and telecommunications equipment.
Sources Reuters have not provided any details on exactly what is being considered, but the idea of sanctions against the world's second-largest economy and one of the largest links in the global supply chain raises questions about the likelihood of their implementation.
“The potential imposition of sanctions against China is a much more complex undertaking than sanctions against Russia, given the significant engagement of the United States and its allies with the Chinese economy,” said Nazak Nikakhtar, a former senior official at the U.S. Department of Commerce. .
China claims Taiwan as its territory and last month fired missiles over the island and moved warships across the unofficial maritime border after US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi visited Taipei, which Beijing saw as a provocation.
Chinese leader Xi Jinping has vowed to bring Taiwan under Beijing's control and has not ruled out the use of force. He is set to enter a third five-year leadership term at the Communist Party congress next month. The Taiwanese government firmly rejects China's territorial claims.
In Washington, officials are weighing options for a possible package of sanctions against China to deter Xi from attempting to invade Taiwan, a US official and an official from a country that works closely with Washington said.
Sanctions talks with the US began after Russia's invasion of Ukraine in February, but have gained new relevance after China's reaction to Pelosi's visit, two sources said.
The United States, backed by NATO allies, took a similar approach to Russia in January, threatening sanctions, but that failed to convince Russian President Vladimir Putin to back off from invading Ukraine.
The White House is focused on uniting allies, including coordination between Europe and Asia to avoid Beijing's provocations.
Reuters was unable to get details on what sanctions were being considered, but some analysts suggested China's military might be the focus.< /p>
“The big picture, the initial talks about sanctions are likely to center around restricting China's access to certain technologies needed to support a military operation against Taiwan,” said Craig Singleton of the Foundation for Defense of Democracies.
The White House declined to comment. .
Taiwan's foreign ministry said it had discussed China's recent military exercises and the “major challenges” China poses to Taiwan and the region with the United States, Europe and other like-minded partners, but did not provide details.
Taiwan had already discussed sanctions with European officials following Russia's invasion of Ukraine, but recent Chinese military exercises have strengthened Taiwan's position, sources told Reuters.
Calls by senior Taiwanese officials for sanctions preparations have intensified in recent weeks. Taiwan did not ask for anything specific, only that Europe plan what steps it could take in the event of a Chinese attack on the island. Taiwan also asked Europe to privately warn China that it will face consequences.
EU officials have so far shied away from imposing tough sanctions against China because the country plays a bigger role in the bloc's economy than Russia.
European sanctions would require the agreement of all EU member states, which is often impossible to achieve. Consensus was difficult even to isolate Russia after its invasion of Ukraine, in part because Russian gas was critical to Germany.
All of Europe, with the exception of the Vatican, has formal diplomatic relations with Beijing, but not Taipei, although Taiwanese and EU officials have had extensive private contact since the start of China's military exercises, sources told Reuters.
Germany, the bloc's economic engine , “wary,” according to another official familiar with the discussion. The German government is increasingly concerned about the country's economic dependence on China. The country's economy minister has already promised a new trade policy and “less naivety”.
Read also: The US approved the sale of more than a billion dollars worth of weapons to Taiwan – what Taipei will get
Earlier it was reported that the US Congress is working on a number of bills that should speed up the supply of weapons to American allies, in particular to Taiwan
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