The message is unmistakable: there are no absolute guarantees and state sovereignty is conditional when it clashes with the interests of powerful states.
The NSS states that past engagement policies toward China have failed, and that China’s technological and economic ambitions have become the primary challenges to U.S. power.
While China has warned of serious consequences and may impose sanctions, the U.S. frames the sale as a necessary sustainment measure for existing aircraft rather than an escalation.