A Taiwan warship launches a US-made Harpoon missile during the annual "Han Kuang" military drill on July 15, 2020. Photo: AFP

The Chinese government is set to impose sanctions on Gregory J. Hayes, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Raytheon Technologies Corporation, and Theodore Colbert III, President and Chief Executive Officer of Boeing Defense, Space & Security, following recent US arms sales to China's Taiwan region, the Chinese Foreign Ministry announced on Friday.

Mao Ning, spokesperson from the ministry, said at Friday's media briefing that the sanctions were imposed in order to safeguard China's sovereignty and security interests, as the two companies were involved in the latest US arms sale to the Taiwan region. 

US arms sales to Taiwan region are a blatant violation of the one-China principle and the provisions of the three China-US joint communiqués, especially the August 17 Communiqué. The arms sales gravely undermine China's sovereignty and security interests, and severely harm China-US relations and peace and stability in the Taiwan Straits. China firmly opposes and strongly condemns them, Mao said. 

Mao stressed that China urges the US and relevant parties to stop arms deals with Taiwan or creating tensions across the Straits, noting that China will continue to take all necessary measures to firmly safeguard its sovereignty and security interests in light of situational developments.

The Biden administration formally notified Congress on September 2 of its intent to sell the island $1.1 billion worth of arms, The Washington Post reported. The arms sales include 60 Harpoon anti-ship missiles, 100 Sidewinder air-to-air missiles and support for a surveillance radar system. This arms sale to the island could be approved by Congress, according to the report. 

According to Reuters, the principal contractor for the Harpoon missiles is Boeing. Raytheon is the principal contractor for both the Sidewinders and the radar program.

In February, China decided to take countermeasures against Raytheon and Lockheed Martin after the US announced the sale of $100 million worth of Patriot missile upgrades to the island of Taiwan. The companies would be punished based on the related regulations by China's Anti-Foreign Sanctions Law, Wang Wenbin, a spokesperson at China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said at a routine press conference. 

The Anti-Foreign Sanctions Law, adopted at the closing meeting of a session of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress on June 10, 2021, enables China to take countermeasures against those who interfere with China's internal affairs, according to the Xinhua News Agency.

The countermeasures include refusing to issue visas, banning entry into China, invalidating visas, deportation, and sealing up, seizing and freezing movable, immovable and other types of property in China, prohibiting the conducting of related transactions with domestic organizations or individuals, and other necessary measures in accordance with the law.

Global Times