China threatened to impose sanctions on U.S. companies that would be selling fighter jets to Taiwan in a proposed $8 billion deal, Bloomberg News reported, citing Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang.
"They constitute severe interference in China's internal affairs and undermine China's sovereignty and security interests," Geng reportedly said at a press briefing. China considers Taiwan part of its territory.
The U.S. State Department formally informed Congress earlier this week that it supported the proposed sale of 66 advanced F-16 jets manufactured by Lockheed Martin Corp. to Taiwan in a bid to upgrade the island's air defenses, Bloomberg said. The department also approved in July a $2.2 billion proposed sale of missiles, tanks and other military products, according to The Wall Street Journal.
Such sanctions are unlikely to significantly affect U.S. defense contractors, given their limited exposure to China, the news outlets said.
