China imposes sanctions against Raytheon, Lockheed firms over Taipei arms deal
China says it will impose sanctions on two major military contractors of the United States that have already drawn sanctions from Beijing over their arms sales to the Chinese Taipei (Taiwan), the self-governed Chinese island.
China’s Foreign Ministry on Monday said it would put sanctions on Raytheon Technologies and Lockheed Martin due to what it called their arms sales to the Chinese Taipei.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin, citing a newly passed Anti-Foreign Sanctions Law that took effect in 2021, announced the decision at a daily press conference, saying it was in response to a $100-million deal approved by Washington for the maintenance of Taiwan’s missile defense systems by the two companies.
“China once again urges the US government and relevant parties to… stop arms sales to Taiwan and sever military ties with Taiwan,” he said, adding, “China will continue to take all necessary measures to firmly safeguard its sovereignty and security interests in accordance with the development of the situation.”
Wang, however, did not give any details regarding the decision.
China has sovereignty over the self-ruled Chinese Taipei, and under the ‘One China’ policy, almost all world countries recognize that sovereignty. But successive US administrations and other Western governments have been courting officials in the Chinese Taipei in an attempted affront to Beijing.
The US has been selling weapons to the Chinese Taipei and staging shows of military force around it. More recently, the US has facilitated easier diplomatic contact with the self-ruled island, in violation of Chinese sovereignty and its own stated policy. China has in response ramped up military patrols and drills near the self-ruled island, asserting its sovereignty.
Washington is also the island’s largest weapons supplier. Since 1997, the Chinese Taipei has bought at least 400 of the missiles from the US.
Back in October 2020, the Chinese government imposed sanctions against Raytheon and other military contractors and “relevant American individuals.” The US State Department, in response, said a day later that it had notified Congress of plans for a $2.37-billion sale of Harpoon attack missiles to the Chinese Taipei.
The Chinese Taipei remains China’s most sensitive territorial issue and a major bone of contention with Washington. China has repeatedly warned the US against any formal relations with the government in Taipei.
The administration of US President Joe Biden has taken a hostile posture against China, including over the Chinese Taipei.
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