The US is evaluating a package of sanctions against China that would prevent Xi Jinping from invading Taiwan.

America reads the options for a Sanctions against China To prevent her from invading TaiwanAnd this The EU is also receiving diplomatic pressure from TaipeiAccording to sources familiar with the talks.

Both the discussions in Washington and Taipei’s pressure on EU diplomats are in the early stages and are in response to fears of a Chinese invasion, the sources said. Military tension in the Taiwan Strait.

In both cases, The idea is to go beyond measures already adopted in the West to limit some of China’s trade and investment in technologies such as chips and telecommunications equipment.

The sources do not give details of what is being considered, but The idea of ​​imposing sanctions on the world’s second-largest economy and one of the largest links in the global supply chain raises questions of feasibility.

“Sanctions on China are an exercise More complex than sanctions against RussiaGiven the extensive relationship of the United States and its allies with the Chinese economy,” said Nasak Nikaktar, a former senior official at the U.S. Department of Commerce.

China claims Taiwan as its own territory and last month fired missiles at the island and sent warships over unofficial waters, after US Speaker Nancy Pelosi visited Taipei, which Beijing saw as a provocation.

Chinese President Xi Jinping has vowed to reunite democratic Taiwan with the mainland and has not ruled out the use of force. He is expected to win a third five-year term at the Communist Party Congress next month.

In Washington, those in charge It is considering options for a possible sanctions package against China that would prevent Xi from attempting to invade Taiwan.said one US official and one from a country closely aligned with Washington.

U.S. sanctions talks began after Russia invaded Ukraine in February, but took on a new urgency following China’s reaction to Pelosi’s visit, the two sources said.

Backed by NATO allies, the United States took a similar approach with Russia in January, threatening unspecified sanctions, but that failed to deter Russian President Vladimir Putin from invading Ukraine.

The non-U.S. official said the White House is focused on getting countries on the same page, including on integration between Europe and Asia and avoiding provoking Beijing.

The White House declined to comment.

Taiwan’s foreign ministry said it had discussed China’s recent war games and the “major challenges” it poses with the United States, Europe and other like-minded partners, but did not disclose details.

China’s foreign ministry did not respond to a request for comment.

Taiwan had already discussed sanctions with European officials after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, but China’s recent military exercises have complicated the situation.Six sources told Reuters about discussions between Taipei and Europe.

Taiwan didn’t ask for anything in particular Europe Plans Actions If China AttacksA source briefed on the discussions has asked Europe to privately warn China that it will face consequences.

EU officials have so far avoided imposing tough sanctions on China over human rights issues because the country plays a much larger role in the bloc’s economy than Russia, another person familiar with the matter said.

(With information from Reuters/Ben Blanchard, John O’Donnell and Alexandra Alber)

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