China threatens 'grave aftermath,' punishes defense firms over arms sale

Furious over a $6.4 billion sale of Black Hawk helicopters, Patriot missiles and other arms to Taiwan, China lashed out at the Obama administration on Saturday and threatened sanctions and a severing of ties with Washington if the deal proceeds.

China's state-run Xinhua news agency reported that the Foreign Ministry "has decided to partially halt the exchange programs between the militaries of the two countries, as well as the vice-ministerial consultation on strategic security, arms control and anti-proliferation, which was originally scheduled to be held soon."

The defense companies involved in the sale will also face sanctions, China said. The People's Republic didn't specifically name any firms Saturday, but with the current arms package to the self-governed island that China views as a rogue province that would include Sikorsky, Lockheed Martin and Boeing.

The Obama administration alerted Congress on Friday of the proposed sale, which falls under the 1979 Taiwan Relations Act that obliges Washington to help the island defend itself.

"The U.S. plan will definitely further undermine China-U.S. relations and bring about serious negative impact on exchanges and cooperation in major areas between the two countries, and lead to aftermath both sides are unwilling to see," Chinese Vice Foreign Minister He Yafei said Saturday, adding that if the arms sale was not stopped "the United States must shoulder the responsibility for the grave aftermath."

Xinhua reported that U.S. Ambassador Jon Huntsman had been summoned for an "urgent meeting."

The latest rift between Washington and Beijing comes in the wake of heated exchanges over Internet freedom after Google said a "highly sophisticated and targeted attack" originating in China attempted to gain access to the e-mail accounts of Chinese human rights activists.

After Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton chided China for restricting Internet freedom -- some 30,000 Web police screen, censor, delete and block content deemed subversive in the communist nation -- Foreign Ministry Spokesman Ma Zhaoxu said the remarks "undermine China-US relations."

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