US weighs Chinese tech sanctions to deter talks of Taiwan invasion

China’s President Xi JinPing has arrived in Kazakhstan today ahead of meeting with Russia’s Vladimir Putin tomorrow. Kazakhstan is a major oil and gas producer and China is a large consumer. The two countries are set to discuss energy and more trade. Tomorrow, Xi JinPing will meet with Putin in a private setting following a meeting with India, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Tajikistan, Iran and Afghanistan. As news comes of the Chinese leader making the rounds with its allies, the U.S. is reportedly considering sanctions on China.

According to Reuters, the talks are in response to China’s escalated military actions surrounding Taiwan. The U.S. is looking to threaten China’s strong economy with sanctions targeting technologies and microchips in hopes to deter any talks of a Taiwan invasion. It’s not just the U.S. toying with the idea. The European Union is reportedly considering its own options. Trade with hefty sanctions could be enough to influence the second largest economy in the world but according to a former U.S. Commerce Department official, it’s a complex task to impose such sanctions.

“The potential imposition of sanctions on China is a far more complex exercise than sanctions on Russia, given U.S. and allies’ extensive entanglement with the Chinese economy,” said Nazak Nikakhtar, a former senior U.S. Commerce Department official.

Reuters contributed to this report.