Beijing sanctions 2 more US defence firms over arms sales to Taiwan, violation of ‘one-China principle’
- Assets held in mainland China by General Atomics Aeronautical Systems and General Dynamics Land Systems will be frozen, Beijing says
- Senior management of the two firms will also be barred from entering the country, according to foreign ministry
China’s foreign ministry said it would freeze mainland assets held by General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, a manufacturer of unmanned aerial systems, and General Dynamics Land Systems, which specialises in the design and production of tracked and wheeled military equipment.
The senior management of the two firms will also be barred from entering the country.
“The continued US arms sales to China’s Taiwan region seriously violate the one-China principle and the provisions of the three China-US joint communiques, interfere in China’s internal affairs, and undermine China’s sovereignty and territorial integrity,” the ministry said in a brief statement.
Beijing views Taiwan as part of its territory, to be reunited by force if necessary. The US, like most countries, does not recognise the self-governed island as independent but is opposed to any forcible change to the status quo and committed to arming it.
Taiwan has long been a bone of contention between Washington and Beijing, which has repeatedly labelled US arms sales to the island as an interference in its domestic affairs.