China’s Ministry of Commerce (MOC) announced on Thursday that 10 U.S. companies have been added to its unreliable entities list for their involvement in arms sales to the Taiwan region. The move underscores escalating tensions between China and the United States over issues concerning Taiwan.
The companies named include divisions of Lockheed Martin, such as Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control, Lockheed Martin Aeronautics, and Lockheed Martin Missile System Integration Lab, according to the MOC announcement.
As a result of being listed, these companies are prohibited from engaging in import or export activities related to the Chinese mainland and are barred from making new investments in China. Additionally, senior executives from these firms will face bans on entering China, with their work permits and residency statuses revoked. Any future applications from them will not be approved, the announcement stated.
The Ministry emphasized that these companies have been involved in arms sales and military technology cooperation with the Taiwan region in recent years, despite China’s strong opposition. Such actions, the MOC stated, severely undermine China’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, violate the one-China principle and the three China-U.S. joint communiqués, and disrupt peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait.
The MOC added that the companies will be held legally accountable for their actions. However, it also noted that China’s unreliable entity provisions target only a few foreign entities that undermine China’s national security. The Chinese government, the ministry stressed, continues to welcome foreign companies to invest and expand their businesses in China, committing to provide a stable, fair, and predictable business environment for law-abiding companies operating in the country.
Reference(s):
cgtn.com
