China sanctions US firms for selling weapons to Taiwan

Chinese sanctions affected Boeing's St. Louis branch, Northrop Grumman Systems Corporation, and L3Harris Maritime Services.

They include freezing all assets owned by companies and individuals in China and banning domestic organizations and individuals from doing business with them.

The Chinese Foreign Ministry added that individuals under sanctions are also prohibited from entering the country.

"The Taiwan issue is the core of China's core interests and the first red line that cannot be crossed in China-US relations. Any provocative actions that cross the line on the Taiwan issue will be met with a strong response from China," a Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson said.

US support for Taiwan

Recently, the United States approved the largest-ever military aid package for Taiwan. It will amount to $11.1 billion, making this decision the largest in the history of US-Taiwan relations.

Previously, the US unveiled the strategy to prevent a conflict with China over Taiwan. The Trump administration outlined this approach in its official document, "National Security Strategy," published on December 5.

According to Peng Qing'en, a spokesperson for China's Taiwan Affairs Office, Beijing does not rule out the use of force over Taiwan, while expressing readiness for peaceful "reunification" under the "one country, two systems" model.

China has considered Taiwan its territory for many years and calls its government separatist. Since 1949, remnants of the anti-communist Kuomintang, which lost the civil war to Mao Zedong, have remained on the island.

But Taipei authorities insist that Taiwan is a sovereign state with its own political and economic system.

PRC People's Liberation Army regularly conducts large-scale military exercises near the Taiwan Strait, working out scenarios for the island's blockade and a possible invasion.

At the same time, Western intelligence services warn that China may invade Taiwan as early as November 2026.