China condemns new U.S. sanctions and announced Taiwan arms deal

The State Department’s new sanctions this week against China lawmakers for their recent crackdown on Hong Kong residents resulted Tuesday in the expected backlash and demands that the U.S. cancel its latest arms sale to Taiwan.

Washington's top diplomat in China was summoned by the foreign ministry, which expressed "strong indignation and strong condemnation"  And Vice Foreign Minister Zheng Zeguang called U.S. actions "arrogant, unreasonable and vile." 

On Monday, the State Department said that 14 Chinese officials who make up the standing committee of China's legislature will be banned from traveling to the United States or accessing the U.S. financial system, due to their restriction of free speech and dissenting political opinions in Hong Kong.

The department also announced a $280 million sale of advanced military communications equipment to Taiwan.

Zheng told top Deputy Chief of Mission Robert Forden that the America signaling of concern for democracy, human rights, and autonomy in Hong Kong are posturing meant to disguise the true goal of the U.S., which is to spread chaos and undermine Chinese stability.

Via a statement from the U.S. Embassy in Beijing, Forden said, "Beijing has used the law repeatedly to suppress freedom of expression and assembly in Hong Kong and to arrest Hong Kong residents who have raised peacefully their concerns over Beijing’s oppressive policies."

China has recently increased the number of military flights and war games it runs near the island nation os Taiwan. China has also sought to punish U.S. companies engaged in arms deals with Taiwan. 

Earlier this year, the U.S. imposed sanctions on Chinese officials implicated in abuses taking place in the Xinjiang northwest region of the country against the Muslim minority population.