China sanctions US companies amid Taiwan arms sales

China has decided to impose sanctions on five United States defense industry companies due to their involvement in arms sales to Taiwan, the Foreign Ministry announced in a statement on Sunday.

The five companies are BAE Systems Land and Armament, Alliant Techsystems Operation, AeroVironment, ViaSat and Data Link Solutions.

The countermeasures consist of freezing the properties of those companies in China, including their movable and immovable property, and prohibiting organizations and individuals in China from engaging in transactions and cooperation with them, a spokesperson said in the statement.

The US arms sales to Taiwan violated the one-China principle and the three China-US joint communiqués, particularly the August 17 joint communiqué of 1982, the spokesperson said.

The illegal unilateral sanctions the US has imposed on Chinese companies and individuals under various false pretexts seriously harm China’s sovereignty and security interests, the spokesperson said.

The move undermines the peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait, and violates the legitimate and lawful rights and interests of Chinese companies and individuals, the spokesperson added.

China strongly deplores and firmly opposes this and has made solemn demarches to the US, the spokesperson said.

Beijing urges Washington to stop arming Taiwan, and stop targeting China with illegal unilateral sanctions, otherwise there will be strong and resolute responses from China, the spokesperson stressed.