On Wednesday, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Geng Shuang stated China will sanction U.S. firms involved in arms sales to Taiwan. The official also criticized the U.S. of severely infringing the "one-China" principle and the three China-U.S. Joint Communiques, especially the August 17 Communique signed in 1982.

A day earlier, the U.S. State Department formally approved a major eight billion U.S. dollars' arms sales to Taiwan, the largest arms sales to Taiwan in over 20 years, to "help improve the security of the recipient." The deal included 66 new F-16C/D fighter jets, also known as Vipers. These are an upgraded version of the F-16s currently in the Chinese island region's arsenal.

"All they are doing is inflaming the situation. The U.S. has recognized there is only one China. There has been the policy. There has been no change. But you have seen them playing chicken, trying constantly to faint," said Einar Tangen, an international current affair commentator. Tangen continued with his analysis that he believes that the U.S. now is using military, politics and economics in essence to get economic concessions from China. "This has not been done since World War I and World War II. This is the danger people should be paying attention to," he added.

Tangen warned it is very dangerous if the U.S. side gradually steps up relations with Taiwan. "This is what we call 'sleep-walking' into confrontation. No one thinks any of the steps is going to tip it over, but at some point (it will). This is the red line for China. There is no way they will allow this to happen," He said.

Zhao Hai, a research fellow of China Academy of Social Sciences, said that this is on principle a very bad decision made by the U.S. side and the Trump administration is testing the waters, going into this grey area. According to Zhao, the U.S. is trying not to step across the red line, however, they are getting closer to it. 

The U.S. Congress passed the Taiwan Travel Act last year to encourage mutual exchanges in 2018, and the U.S. House of Representatives just passed the Taiwan Assurance Act earlier this year. These actions are believed to have complicated the Asia-Pacific situation.

"It is extremely serious," Tangen said, "Taiwan is part of China. There is no separating. Any moves to do so will trigger an armed confrontation. There is no doubt about it."

Tangen concluded by saying: "It is also a bragging point for Trump, and he would say, 'look, I have made a great deal. I am the great businessman. I am creating jobs.'"

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