The move comes in response to Washington’s efforts to arm Taiwan and impose “illegal” restrictions on Chinese firms, Beijing says
Beijing has imposed sanctions on 12 American defense contractors, including subsidiaries of Lockheed Martin and Raytheon, as well as ten executives in response to US arms supplies to Taiwan, which it says is “seriously violating the One-China principle.”
The restrictions were announced on Wednesday by the Chinese Foreign Ministry, and include asset freezes and travel bans. Some Western media called the move “largely symbolic” as American arms makers do not do business in the country.
The ministry cited Washington’s decision to target Chinese firms with sanctions in the announcement, particularly in the context of the Ukraine conflict. On May 1, the US Treasury slapped sanctions on more than a dozen Chinese entities as part of a larger tranche of 300 restrictions, which it imposed for allegedly supplying military-related goods to Russia.
Beijing has said that, unlike Washington, it is not involved in the Ukraine conflict. The Chinese government considers unilateral American sanctions unlawful and part of a wider effort to undermine the Asian nation’s economic development.
The decision to retaliate against weapons manufacturers was based on Beijing’s position that arms supplies to Taiwan violate the One-China principle and seriously damage its sovereignty over the self-governed island, the statement said.
The US claims that sending weapons to Taiwan is necessary to deter China from seizing it by force. Beijing’s stated policy is to seek peaceful reunification with the island, but it has warned that it would resort to force should Taiwan attempt to declare independence. Some figures in the US are encouraging such separatism, according to China.
The Chinese restrictions target various subsidiaries of US defense giants Lockheed Martin, Raytheon, and General Dynamics, as well as some lesser-known defense firms, such as the Arizona-based Inter-Coastal Electronics and IronMountain Solutions in Alabama.
On Monday, the Chinese Ministry of Commerce announced Taiwan-related sanctions against three US military producers: Boeing Defense, Space & Security; General Atomics Aeronautical Systems; and General Dynamics Land Systems, which it added to its list of “unreliable entities.” Lockheed and Raytheon were added to the same list in early 2023.
