China Punishes 20 American Companies Over Arms Deals with Taiwan
The Chinese Foreign Ministry announced on Friday the imposition of sanctions on 20 American defense companies and 10 of their executives, following the arms sales these companies made to Taiwan, in a move that highlights the escalating tensions between Beijing and Washington regarding the island.
According to the ministry's statement, the decision takes effect immediately, and the list of companies affected by the sanctions includes prominent names such as:
• Northrop Grumman Systems
• L3 Harris Maritime Services
• Boeing in St. Louis
In addition to other companies such as:
Gibbs & Cox, Advanced Acoustic Concepts, Sierra Technical Services, Teledrones, Recon Craft, Blue Force Technologies, Dive Technologies, Rhombus Power Inc., Lazarus Enterprises.
These sanctions came after the United States approved an arms deal with Taiwan this month worth 11.1 billion dollars, the largest in the history of American sales to the island, which faces increasing military pressure from China.
The Taiwanese Ministry of Defense clarified that the deal includes eight types of weapons and military equipment, including:
• HIMARS missile systems
• Howitzer artillery
• Javelin anti-tank missiles
• Armed drones of the Altus type
• In addition to spare parts for other equipment.
For its part, the U.S. Department of Defense confirmed that the deal serves the national, economic, and security interests of the United States by supporting Taiwan's efforts to modernize its armed forces and maintain reliable defensive capabilities.
In contrast, the Chinese Foreign Ministry expressed its anger over these deals, asserting that they undermine peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait, and calling for an immediate halt to such transactions.
This announcement of arms sales to Taiwan is the second during the presidency of Donald Trump, reflecting the ongoing U.S. policy of supporting the island despite continuous Chinese warnings.
