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WORLD NEWS Friday 12 april 2024
China sanctions 2 U.S. defense companies and says they support

arms sales to Taiwan

Associated Press Kong.
BEIJING (AP) — China on General Dynamics fully
Thursday announced rare owned entities are regis-
sanctions against two U.S. tered in Hong Kong, the
defense companies over southern Chinese semi-au-
what it called their support tonomous city over which
for arms sales to Taiwan, Beijing has steadily been
the self-governing island increasing its political and
democracy Beijing claims economic control to the
as its own territory to be re- point that it faces no vocal
covered by force if neces- opposition and has seen its
sary. critics silenced, imprisoned
The announcement freezes or forced into exile.
the assets of General Atom- The two companies did not
ics Aeronautical Systems immediately respond to re-
and General Dynamics quests for comment.
Land Systems held within China has threatened ac-
China. It also bars the com- tion against foreign com-
panies’ management from panies and governments
entering the country. that aid Taiwan’s defense
Filings show General Dy- and the U.S. military pres-
namics operates a half- ence in the region, leading
dozen Gulfstream and jet An MQ9 Predator drone is displayed at the Berlin Air Show ILA in Berlin, Germany, on May 30, 2016. to commercial boycotts
aviation services opera- Associated Press and diplomatic standoffs.
tions in China, which re- China banned American
mains heavily reliant on military. Chinese authori- sales to China’s Taiwan re- fled amid civil war in 1949 firms Lockheed Martin
foreign aerospace tech- ties did not go into details gion seriously violate the remain part of a single Chi- Corp. and Raytheon Mis-
nology even as it attempts on the company’s alleged one-China principle and nese nation. siles & Defense from the
to build its own presence in involvement with supplying the provisions of the three Sanctions were leveled Chinese market in retalia-
the field. arms to Taiwan. China-U.S. joint communi- under Beijing’s recently tion for the use of one of
The company also helps Beijing has long threat- qués, interfere in China’s enacted Law of the Peo- their planes and a missile
make the Abrams tank be- ened such sanctions, but internal affairs, and under- ple’s Republic of China on to shoot down a suspect-
ing purchased by Taiwan has rarely issued them as mine China’s sovereignty Countering Foreign Sanc- ed spy balloon that flew
to replace outdated armor its economy reels from and territorial integrity,” tions, aimed at retaliat- over the continental United
intended to deter or resist the COVID-19 pandemic, China’s Foreign Ministry ing against U.S. financial States last year. Similar bal-
an invasion from China. high unemployment and a said in a statement. It in- and travel restrictions on loons have frequently been
General Atomics produces sharp decline in foreign in- sists that the mainland and Chinese officials accused discovered floating over
the Predator and Reaper vestment. the island to which Chiang of human rights abuses in Taiwan and into the Pacific
drones used by the U.S. “The continued U.S. arms Kai-shek’s Nationalist forces mainland China and Hong Ocean.q

Wife of Julian Assange says Biden’s comments mean case could

be moving in the right direction

By JILL LAWLESS trove of classified Ameri- enough is enough,” Alba-
Associated Press can documents. The pro- nese told the Australian
LONDON (AP) — The wife of posal would see Assange, Broadcasting Corp.
Julian Assange said Thurs- an Australian citizen, return Assange has been indicted
day her husband’s legal home rather than be sent on 17 espionage charges
case “could be moving in to the U.S. to face espio- and one charge of com-
the right direction” after nage charges. puter misuse over his web-
President Joe Biden con- Officials have not provided site’s publication of classi-
firmed the U.S. may drop more details, but Stella As- fied U.S. documents almost
charges against the impris- sange said the comments 15 years ago. American
oned WikiLeaks founder. are “a good sign.” prosecutors allege that As-
It came as supporters in “It looks like things could sange, 52, encouraged
several cities rallied to de- be moving in the right di- and helped U.S. Army in-
mand the release of As- rection,” she told the BBC, telligence analyst Chelsea
sange, on the fifth anniver- saying the indictment was Manning steal diplomatic
sary of his incarceration in “a Trump legacy and re- cables and military files that
London’s high-security Bel- ally Joe Biden should have WikiLeaks published, put- A Protester stands in front of the Ecuadorian Embassy in London,
marsh prison. dropped it from day one.” ting lives at risk. Thursday, April 11, 2024, where Wikileaks founder Julian Assange
was arrested five years ago.
Biden said Wednesday that Australian Prime Minister Australia argues there is a Associated Press
his administration is “consid- Anthony Albanese said the disconnect between the
ering” a request from Aus- comment was encourag- U.S. treatment of Assange year sentence to seven nalist protected by the First
tralia to drop the decade- ing. and Manning. Then-U.S. years, which allowed her Amendment who exposed
long U.S. push to prosecute “Mr. Assange has already President Barack Obama release in 2017. Assange’s U.S. military wrongdoing in
Assange for publishing a paid a significant price and commuted Manning’s 35- supporters say he is a jour- Iraq and Afghanistan.q