China sanctioned 10 US defence firms on Thursday, citing their involvement in arms sales to Taiwan. This marks the second round of measures against American companies over the issue in less than a week.
Subsidiaries of Lockheed Martin, General Dynamics, and Raytheon were added to China’s “Unreliable Entities List,” the Ministry of Commerce announced. These firms are now barred from import and export activities, making new investments in China, and their senior managers are prohibited from entering the country.
Last week, China imposed sanctions on seven other US military-industrial firms, including Boeing subsidiary Insitu, over similar concerns.
Taiwan remains a major point of contention between Beijing and Washington. While China claims the self-ruled island as part of its territory, the US, though not diplomatically recognising Taiwan, remains its strategic ally and largest arms supplier.
In December, President Joe Biden approved $571.3 million in defence support for Taiwan. China’s foreign ministry criticised the move, stating it undermines China’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.
Additionally, China’s commerce ministry on Thursday added 28 US entities, mostly defence firms, to its Export Control List, banning the export of dual-use items to them. This move aims to safeguard China’s national security and fulfil non-proliferation obligations, the ministry stated.
