China sanctions 20 US defense companies over arms sales to Taiwan

Beijing imposed sanctions on Friday against 20 U.S. defense-related companies and 10 executives, a week after Washington announced large-scale arms sales to Taiwan .

The sanctions entail freezing the companies’ assets in China and banning individuals and organizations from dealing with them, according to the Chinese foreign ministry .

The companies include Northrop Grumman Systems Corporation, L3Harris Maritime Services and Boeing. Among the defense executives sanctioned is Anduril Industries’ founder Palmer Luckey, who can no longer do business in China and is barred from entering the country. Those sanctioned in the East Asian country have also had assets frozen.

The recent announcement of the U.S. arms-sale package for Taiwan, valued at more than $10 billion , has drawn an angry response from China, which claims Taiwan as its own and says it must come under its control.

If approved by the American Congress, it would be the largest-ever U.S. weapons package to the self-ruled territory.

“We stress once again that the Taiwan question is at the very core of China’s core interests and the first red line that must not be crossed in China－U.S. relations ,” the Chinese foreign ministry said in a statement on Friday. “Any company or individual who engages in arms sales to Taiwan will pay the price for the wrongdoing.”

The ministry also urged the U.S. to stop what it called “the dangerous moves of arming Taiwan.”

Taiwan is a major flashpoint in U.S.-China relations that analysts worry could explode into military conflict between the two powers. China says the U.S. arms sales to Taiwan would violate diplomatic agreements between China and the U.S.

China’s military has increased its presence in Taiwan’s skies and waters in the past few years, holding joint drills with its warships and fighter jets on a near-daily basis near the island.

Under American federal law, the U.S. is obligated to assist Taiwan with its self-defense, a point that has become increasingly contentious with China. Beijing already has strained ties with Washington over trade, technology and other human rights issues.

周五，北京对 20 家美国国防相关公司和 10 名高管实施制裁，此前一周，华盛顿宣布向台湾大规模出售武器。

据中国外交部称，制裁措施包括冻结这些公司在中国的资产，并禁止个人和组织与这些公司进行交易。

这些公司包括诺斯罗普·格鲁曼系统公司、L3Harris海事服务公司和波音公司。受到制裁的国防高管中包括安杜里尔工业公司创始人帕尔默·拉基，他被禁止在中国开展业务，并被禁止入境。在东亚国家受到制裁的人员的资产也被冻结。

美国最近宣布向台湾出售价值超过100亿美元的武器，引发了中国的强烈不满。中国声称台湾是其领土的一部分，并表示台湾必须置于其控制之下。

如果获得美国国会批准，这将是美国向这个自治领土提供的最大规模的武器援助计划。

中国外交部周五发表声明称：“我们再次强调，台湾问题是中国核心利益的核心，是中美关系中不容逾越的第一条红线。任何向台湾出售武器的公司或个人，都将为其错误行为付出代价。”

该部还敦促美国停止其所谓的“武装台湾的危险举动”。

台湾问题是美中关系中的一个主要爆发点，分析人士担心这可能演变成两国之间的军事冲突。中国表示，美国对台军售违反了中美之间的外交协议。

过去几年，中国军队在台湾空域和水域的存在感日益增强，几乎每天都在台湾附近海域与其军舰和战斗机进行联合演习。

根据美国联邦法律，美国有义务协助台湾进行自卫，这一点与中国之间的争议日益加剧。北京与华盛顿之间在贸易、技术和其他人权问题上的关系已经十分紧张。