China has imposed sanctions on US companies that sold arms to Taiwan

China announced economic sanctions this Friday (21) against the American group Lockheed Martin and its directors for selling arms to Taiwan, which, according to Beijing, “seriously interferes in China’s internal affairs and seriously harms its sovereignty and integrity”.

China has already condemned the US State Department’s approval of the sale of a US$360.2 million combat drone and missile system to Taiwan on Thursday (20).

Among the sanctioned companies, whose assets in China will be frozen, are several Lockheed Martin Group subsidiaries and executives James Deglit, Frank St. John and Jesse Malef.

Those sanctioned will be barred from carrying out activities in the country and denied entry into Chinese territory, including Hong Kong and Macau, China’s Foreign Ministry said in a brief statement today.

Ministry spokesman Lin Jian announced on Thursday that the US decision to sell arms to Taiwan “is a serious violation of China’s sovereignty and security interests”, “severely affects China-US relations” and “threats peace and stability”. Taiwan Strait

Lin added that the decision “sends the wrong signal to separatist forces” on the island.

The Taiwan issue is one of the biggest sources of conflict between China and the US, mainly because Washington is Taiwan’s main arms supplier and would be its biggest military ally in the event of a war with the Asian giant.

In recent years, Beijing has stepped up pressure on the island, which it considers a rebel province after Kuomintang nationalists retreated in 1949 in a war against the communist army.

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