China Summons US Ambassador Following Washington's Sanctions Against Beijing

China has summoned the US ambassador and military attaché in Beijing to express its "strong protest" against Washington's sanctions due to the purchase of Russian weapons. Meanwhile, Beijing has requested its naval commander, who was in the United States for a meeting, to return to China immediately. The US government announced on September 20 that it had sanctioned the Chinese military for purchasing fighter jets and air defense systems from Russia. According to the US State Department, these sanctions are linked to the purchase of 10 Sukhoi Su-35 fighter jets in 2017 and the S-400 missile defense system in 2018 from Russia. Both Russia and China condemned the new US sanctions and China warned that these sanctions could have consequences for the US. The Chinese state news agency Xinhua reported on October 1 that the Deputy Foreign Minister, Zheng Zeguang, summoned US Ambassador Terry Branstad and condemned the sanctions. Zheng stated, "The military relationship between China and Russia is a normal relationship between two independent countries, and the United States has no right to interfere in it." Xinhua also reported that a senior official from the Central Military Commission summoned the US military attaché and shared similar sentiments. The Chinese military has also requested Admiral Shen Jinlong, its naval commander, to return to China immediately from the US, where he was attending a symposium. The People's Republic has also announced that a meeting scheduled for October 25 with US officials regarding a communication mechanism between the two sides has been postponed to another date. The US sanctions against China were imposed under a law known as "CATSA," which was enacted due to accusations against Moscow regarding the annexation of Crimea, interventions in Syria, and interference in US elections. Senior US officials have stated that the country may impose similar sanctions on other countries purchasing fighter jets and missile systems from Russia.