China has announced a new round of sanctions targeting 20 US defense companies, including a Boeing defense unit, in response to Washington’s latest arms sales to Taiwan. The move underscores Beijing’s continued opposition to military support for the self-governed island, which China claims as its territory and has not ruled out using force to bring under its control.
The United States remains Taiwan’s largest arms supplier, a role that has long drawn criticism from Beijing. Earlier this month, Taiwan’s government said Washington had approved up to $11 billion in defense sales, potentially making it one of the largest weapons packages for the island in recent years. Chinese officials have repeatedly warned that such deals undermine regional stability and violate Beijing’s core interests.
In a statement released on Friday, Chinese authorities confirmed sanctions against Boeing’s defense manufacturing operations in St. Louis, along with major US defense contractors including Northrop Grumman. Several of the companies named have already been subject to earlier Chinese penalties, reflecting a pattern of retaliatory measures linked to US-Taiwan defense cooperation.
Under the sanctions, Chinese organizations are prohibited from conducting business with the targeted firms, and any assets held by those companies within China will be frozen. Analysts note that the practical impact may be limited, as many of the sanctioned defense firms have little or no commercial exposure in China, but the move carries strong political and symbolic weight amid rising US-China tensions.
