China hits 9 US firms with property freeze over weapons sales to Taiwan

BEIJING (Reuters) -China announced steps against nine U.S. military-linked firms on Wednesday over U.S. weapons sales to Taiwan, freezing their property within China, in the latest move to put added pressure on the United States to halt its arms sales to the island.

China has repeatedly called on the White House, an important international backer and arms supplier for democratically-governed Taiwan, to refrain from formal dealings with the island's leadership.

Beijing claims Taiwan as part of its territory.

The steps taken against the firms, including Sierra Nevada Corporation and Stick Rudder Enterprises LLC, became effective on Wednesday and will freeze their property within China, according to a foreign ministry statement.

It described the actions as countermeasures and said they also applied to Cubic Corporation, S3 Aerospace, TCOM Ltd Partnership, TextOre, Planate Management Group, ACT1 Federal and Exovera, the ministry said.

Organisations and individuals within China are prohibited from engaging in transactions with the firms, the statement said.

A spokesperson for China's foreign ministry on Wednesday urged the United States "to immediately stop the dangerous trend of arming Taiwan."Stop conniving and supporting Taiwan independence, and stop undermining peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait," said ministry spokesperson Lin Jian at a regular press briefing.

China previously sanctioned and banned firms, including Lockheed Martin units, for selling arms to Taiwan.

China had said it was strongly opposed to U.S. arms sales to Taiwan and urged Washington to withdraw them immediately.

The defence ministry also previously lodged a complaint to the United States over the matter.

China has ramped up military and political pressure over the past five years to assert its claims, which Taipei strongly rejects.

(Reporting by Liz Lee and Beijing newsroom; Writing by Bernard Orr; Editing by Muralikumar Anantharaman, Editing by William Maclean)