China announced sanctions against 13 US military companies on Thursday. The move comes after the US approved arms sales to Taiwan and the passage of Taiwan’s president through US territory.
China opposes any dialogue between Taiwan’s leaders and foreign governments. Arms sales, which include spare parts and support for F-16 jets and radars, total $385 million. China views these sales as a violation of its sovereignty.
“China regards Taiwan as its territory, and its president Lai Ching-ti as a dangerous separatist. It opposes any foreign interactions or visits by the island’s leaders,” the Chinese foreign ministry said.
Approved companies include Teledyne Brown Engineering Inc., BRINC Drones Inc., Shield AI Inc., Rapid Flight LLC, Red Six Solutions, SYNEXXUS Inc., Firestorm Labs Inc., Kratos Unmanned Aerial Systems Inc., HavocAI, Neros Technologies, Cyber Lux Corporation, Domo Tactical Communications, and Group W.
Six executives from Raytheon, BAE Systems and United Technologies face asset freezes and entry bans in China. Chinese nationals and organizations are prohibited from doing business with these individuals.