Thursday, January 2, 2025 -China has imposed sanctions on 10 U.S. defence firms over their involvement in arms sales to Taiwan, marking its second wave of measures targeting American companies in under a week.
The Ministry of Commerce announced on Thursday, January 2, that
subsidiaries of Lockheed Martin, General Dynamics, and Raytheon have been added
to China’s "Unreliable Entities List" for their participation in the
arms deals. These firms are now barred from import and export activities in
China, prohibited from making new investments, and their senior executives are
banned from entering the country.
This follows sanctions announced last Friday on seven U.S.
military-industrial companies, including Boeing subsidiary Insitu, also in
response to U.S. military assistance to Taiwan.
Taiwan remains a contentious issue in U.S.-China relations. Beijing
claims the self-ruled island as part of its territory and has vowed to reunify
it, by force if necessary. While Washington does not formally recognize Taiwan,
it is the island’s largest arms supplier and a key strategic ally.
In December, U.S. President Joe Biden approved $571.3 million in defence
support for Taiwan. A Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson described the U.S.
actions as interference in China’s internal affairs, saying they
"undermine China’s sovereignty and territorial integrity."
China has escalated military and political pressure on Taiwan in recent
years, staging three rounds of large-scale military drills since Taiwanese
President Lai Ching-te assumed office in May.
On the same day as the latest sanctions, China’s commerce ministry added
28 U.S. entities, primarily defence firms, to its Export Control List. This
action bans the export of dual-use items to these entities, including General
Dynamics, Lockheed Martin Corporation, and Boeing Defense, Space &
Security. The ministry stated that the move aims to safeguard national
security, protect Chinese interests, and uphold international obligations
related to non-proliferation.
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