During the course of this week, more specifically on Wednesday, the government of the People’s Republic of China announced that it will impose sanctions on twelve U.S. companies from the military-industrial complex and ten of their executives. The reason for this is twofold: one is in retaliation for the supply of American weaponry to Taiwan, while the second is a response to U.S. sanctions on Chinese companies for supplying arms to Russia.
The sanctions imposed by China fall under what is known as the Chinese Anti-Foreign Sanctions Law, which provides for the freezing of assets of the targeted companies and the prohibition of entry into the Asian country for the executives. In this regard, major entities of the American military complex such as Lockheed Martin, General Dynamics, Raytheon, Boeing, and Northrop Grumman will be affected by the measure.
It should be noted that these are by no means the first sanctions the Asian giant has decided to implement against the most important U.S. defense companies. Back in January, in line with the first argument mentioned above, China had decided to sanction five companies that had taken part in the over 300 million dollar aid package sent to Taiwan; these were: BAE Systems Land and Armament, ViaSat, Alliant Techsystems Operation, Data Link Solutions, and AeroVironment. Other precedents for the escalation can also be found in 2019 and 2021.
It is also useful to remember that the arrival of Taiwan’s new president, Lai Ching-te, has led to an increase in the island’s independence rhetoric. China, which considers Taiwan its own, relies heavily on its connection with the United States, which is legally obligated to ensure the supply of arms to the disputed territory. Recently, with the announcement of major military exercises surrounding the island, the Asian giant demonstrates its strong determination to root out any possibility of independence that breaks with the idea of “one China,” even by force.
Regarding the second issue mentioned at the beginning, the United States had increased pressure on Chinese companies at the beginning of this month by implementing sanctions on those accused of collaborating with the Russian war effort. These were hundreds of companies involved both in the sale of arms to Russia and in tasks facilitating the evasion of sanctions imposed by the West.
Summarizing both issues, China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs declared that the sanctions were decided after the U.S. “indiscriminately imposed illegal unilateral sanctions on several Chinese entities based on so-called Russia-related factors (…) and continued selling arms to Taiwan.”
*Images used for illustrative purposes.
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