Due to their role in arms sales to Taiwan, Beijing is slapping personal sanctions on the CEOs of two US weapons manufacturing behemoths. The Chinese Foreign Ministry verified the news on Monday. The largest US-Taiwan transaction under the Joe Biden administration, a $1.1 billion armaments package for the island was disclosed by Washington two weeks prior.
Speaking about the issue Foreign Ministry spokeswoman, Mao Ning, said that US arms sales to the island that according to China is its territory, “seriously violate” the so-called ‘One China’ policy and existing agreements between the US and China.
According to Reuters, Boeing is the principal contractor for Harpoon anti-ship missiles, and Raytheon for Sidewinder air-to-air missiles and radar systems equipment included in the sale.
“To defend China’s sovereignty and security interests, the Chinese government has decided to sanction 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, who were involved in the latest arms sale,” she said without elaborating on what kind of sanctions would be imposed.
The two CEOs, Raytheon and Lockheed Martin, have been subject to Chinese sanctions since February, when Washington announced the sale of $100 million worth of Patriot missile system upgrades to Taipei.
Mao Ning repeatedly call for Washington to end all arms supplies to Taiwan and “to stop initiating factors that could lead to tensions in the Taiwan Strait.”
She emphasised that her country would continue to take all important measures to protect its sovereignty and security interests. On the other hand, US insists that its huge arms packages are not in breach of the “One China” policy and would simply cooperate Taiwan in maintaining a proper self-defense capability.
Tensions between the US and China heightened after a visit by US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi to Taipei in August. In response, China conducted a large-scale military drills in proximity to the island. This, in turn, prompted Washington to send a fleet of cruisers to the Taiwan Strait.
Despite the strained relationship with China, the US Senate approved on Wednesday a bill that would allocate $4.5 billion in security assistance for Taipei over four years.
