U.S.-China relations worsen yet again as the U.S. puts more sanctions on China for militarizing the South China Sea.
Recent tensions also saw China send a clear warning to the U.S., firing two missiles into the sea.
Our Han Seong-woo has more on the story.
Never before has the U.S. government imposed sanctions on China directly over the South China Sea issue.
The U.S. Department of Commerce announced Wednesday, local time, that it had included 24 more Chinese state-owned enterprises, including subsidiaries of the China Communications Construction Company, on its list of sanctions subjects.
Accused of helping China militarize the disputed waters, the sanctioned entities will now need special licenses to conduct business with American firms.
The State Department has also put visa restrictions on individuals who contributed to militarizing the South China Sea and blocking neighboring countries from extracting underwater energy sources.
Meanwhile, China fired two mid-range missiles into the South China Sea on Wednesday morning, local time.
The South China Morning Post reported that the launch was in response to a U.S. spy plane flying in an area designated by the Chinese government as a “no-fly zone”.
Washington-Beijing relations have already been plummeting amid trade disputes and the COVID-19 pandemic.
However, that friction could reach new levels as the South China Sea is formally brought into question.
Han Seong-woo, Arirang News.