Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin announced on Monday that the Chinese government is to impose countermeasures against two U.S. military contractors – Raytheon Technologies and Lockheed Martin – over their long-time involvement in U.S. arms sales to the Taiwan region.
The countermeasures, rolled out in accordance with China’s law against foreign sanctions, are to safeguard the country’s sovereignty and security interests, Wang told a regular news briefing in Beijing.
The U.S. State Department approved a $100 million program of arms sales to China’s Taiwan region on February 7, and the U.S. Defense Security Cooperation Agency said it had delivered the required certification notifying Congress.
The U.S. move “gravely undermines China’s sovereignty and security interests, seriously damages China-U.S. relations and harms peace and stability of the Taiwan Straits,” said Wang. “China firmly opposes this and strongly condemns it.”
The spokesperson said China again urges the U.S. government and relevant parties to end arms sales to Taiwan and stop building military ties with it, and abide by the one-China principle and the provisions of the three China-U.S. joint communiques.
China will continue to take all necessary measures to safeguard its sovereignty and security interests, he added.
