According to China, the US arms sales to Taiwan would violate diplomatic agreements between Beijing and Washington. (Photo: Reuters) China on Friday imposed sanctions against 20 US defence-related companies and 10 executives over the recently announced large-scale arms sales to Taiwan. According to the Chinese foreign ministry, the sanctions entail freezing the companies’ assets in China and banning individuals and organizations from dealing with them.
China sanctions US defence companies
The companies sanctioned by China include Northrop Grumman Systems Corporation, L3Harris Maritime Services, Boeing in St. Louis, Vantor (formerly Maxar Intelligence) and Anduril Industries.
Anduril founder Palmer Luckey is also among the executives sanctioned by China on Friday.
Following the sanctions, the companies and executives can no longer do business in China, and they are barred from entering mainland China, Hong Kong, and Macau.
The move follows Washington’s announcement last week of $11.1 billion in arms sales to Taiwan, the largest ever US weapons package for the island, drawing Beijing’s ire.
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What China said
“The Taiwan issue is the core of China’s core interests and the first red line that cannot be crossed in China-U.S. relations,” a Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson said in a statement on Friday.
“Any provocative actions that cross the line on the Taiwan issue will be met with a strong response from China.”
“Any company or individual who engages in arms sales to Taiwan will pay the price for the wrongdoing,” the statement added.
According to China, the US arms sales to Taiwan would violate diplomatic agreements between Beijing and Washington under which the latter maintains a strategic ambiguity and recognises the One China policy.
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However, the US supports Taiwan’s self-defence under the Taiwan Relations Act (TRA) and provides arms to the democratically ruled island, which China views as a breakaway province.
What is US selling to Taiwan
The US arms sale, announced on December 18, included HIMARS rocket systems, howitzers, Javelin anti-tank missiles, Altius loitering munition drones and parts for other equipment.
“The United States continues to assist Taiwan in maintaining sufficient self‑defence capabilities and in rapidly building strong deterrent power and leveraging asymmetric warfare advantages, which form the foundation for maintaining regional peace and stability,” Taiwan’s defence ministry had said in a statement.
