Fri Jan 03 03:49:39 UTC 2025: ## China Slaps Sanctions on 10 More US Defense Firms Over Taiwan Arms Sales

**BEIJING** – China has imposed sanctions on ten more US defense companies, escalating its response to American arms sales to Taiwan. This is the second round of sanctions in less than a week, targeting subsidiaries of major defense contractors Lockheed Martin, General Dynamics, and Raytheon for their involvement in supplying weapons to the self-governed island.

The Ministry of Commerce announced Thursday that the companies have been added to China’s Unreliable Entities List, prohibiting them from import and export activities, new investments in China, and barring their senior managers from entering the country. This follows last Friday’s sanctions against seven other US military-industrial companies, including a Boeing subsidiary.

The move underscores the escalating tensions between Beijing and Washington over Taiwan, which China claims as its own territory. China’s foreign ministry has repeatedly condemned US arms sales to Taiwan, asserting they interfere in China’s internal affairs and undermine its sovereignty.

The latest sanctions come after the US provided Taiwan with $571.3 million in defense support in December and amid heightened military activity by China around the island following the inauguration of President Lai Ching-te in May. In addition to the Unreliable Entities List additions, China also added 28 US entities, primarily defense firms, to its Export Control List, restricting the export of dual-use items.

The sanctions represent a significant escalation in China’s economic pressure campaign against US companies involved in Taiwan’s defense. The ongoing dispute highlights the increasingly fraught geopolitical landscape surrounding Taiwan and the growing tensions between the US and China.

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