China has imposed sanctions on 13 American companies in retaliation for the latest U.S. arms sales to Taiwan, amid tensions between Washington and Beijing over the self-ruled island.
The United States last week authorized two defense packages worth $385 million for Taiwan, including spare parts for its fleet of F-16 fighter jets and support for the Improved Mobile Subscriber Equipment (IMSE) communications system. These deals now await congressional approval.
“The United States recently announced again that it would sell arms to China’s Taiwan region, which seriously violated the one-China principle and the three Sino-U.S. joint communiques, seriously interfered in China’s internal affairs, and seriously undermined China’s sovereignty and territorial integrity,” China’s Ministry of Commerce said Thursday in a statement announcing the tit-for-tat move.
Taiwan Ministry of Foreign Affairs
The sanctions target 13 U.S. companies, including BRINC Drones, Rapid Flight, Red Six Solutions, Shield AI, Firestorm Laboratories, Kratos Unmanned Systems, Cyberlux Corporation and Group W.
The sanctions would in theory freeze these companies’ assets in China and bar Chinese organizations and individuals from engaging with them. Additionally, six senior executives from Raytheon, BAE Systems and United Technologies were hit with asset freezes and entry bans.
The measures are largely symbolic, as these firms are unlikely to have significant assets in China, but the move underscores Beijing’s growing frustration with the U.S. and its support for Taiwan, which China claims as part of its territory despite never having ruled there.
The announcement came as Taiwan’s president, Lai Ching-te, concluded a tour of Pacific allies, including Tuvalu, the Marshall Islands and Palau.
His trip also included transits in Hawaii and Guam, prompting accusations from Beijing that the U.S. was interfering in China’s internal affairs. During his visit, Lai held phone calls with former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and current Speaker Mike Johnson, both of whom reaffirmed their support for Taiwan.
Newsweek reached out to the Chinese foreign ministry by email with a request for comment.
The U.S. has long been Taiwan’s principal arms supplier. The State Department told Newsweek this week that transits by high-level Taiwanese officials are consistent with longstanding practice, pointing out that every democratically elected president of Taiwan has transited the U.S.
China’s foreign ministry spokesperson Lin Jian on Thursday criticized the recent arms deals and accused the U.S. of encouraging Taiwan’s independence efforts.
“In recent months, the U.S. has announced multiple arms sales to China’s Taiwan region. This gravely violates the one-China principle and the three China-U.S. joint communiqués, interferes in China’s internal affairs and undermines China’s sovereignty and territorial integrity,” he told reporters.
Lin called on Washington to adhere to the one-China principle, cease arms sales to Taiwan, and stop “aiding and abetting separatists’ attempts to seek Taiwan independence through military buildup.”
The U.S. follows a decades-old one-China policy that acknowledges, without endorsing, China’s claims over the island. The State Department reaffirmed this week that Washington’s approach to Taiwan has remained consistent across every administration for the past 45 years.
