China Sanctions Two Defense Firms Including US Lockheed Martin for "Alleged Arms Sales to Taiwan"

Chinese Foreign Ministry: "US Violates 'One China' Principle"
US Approves Weapon Sale Worth 660 Billion Won Including Fighter Jet Equipment

China announced that it has decided to impose sanctions on two U.S. defense companies, including Lockheed Martin, which sold weapons to Taiwan.

Mao Ning, Spokesperson of the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Photo by Yonhap News

Mao Ning, spokesperson for the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, stated at a regular briefing on the 15th, "Lockheed Martin, headquartered in St. Louis, Missouri, directly participated as the main contractor in the U.S. arms sales to Taiwan on August 24, and Northrop Grumman has participated multiple times in U.S. arms sales to Taiwan. China is imposing sanctions on these two U.S. defense companies in accordance with the Foreign Sanctions Law."

Spokesperson Mao further pointed out, "Despite China's firm opposition, the U.S. government stubbornly provided weapons to Taiwan, severely violating the 'One China' principle and the three Sino-U.S. joint communiques, causing serious damage to China's sovereignty and security interests."

The three Sino-U.S. joint communiques mentioned by China refer to the 1972 Shanghai Communique, the 1978 U.S.-China Joint Communique on the Establishment of Diplomatic Relations, and the 1982 August 17 Communique. These communiques include the U.S. commitment to support the 'One China' principle.

Earlier, on the 24th of last month (local time), the U.S. Department of State approved and notified Congress of a weapons sale to Taiwan worth $500 million (approximately 660 billion KRW), including infrared search and track (IRST) equipment for F-16 fighter jets and related IRST equipment.

IRST is equipment that enhances a fighter jet's ability to detect threats in the air, increasing the survivability of F-16 fighter jets during combat.

At the time of notification, the U.S. Department of State stated, "This sale will contribute to Taiwan's air defense capabilities, regional security, and interoperability with the United States, enhancing Taiwan's ability to address current and future threats." In response, the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs immediately protested, stating that it harms China's sovereignty and security interests.

According to Taiwanese media reports, Lockheed Martin had already been approved by the U.S. government in 2019 to sell 66 units of the latest version of the F-16 fighter jet, the F-16V, to Taiwan (worth $8 billion, approximately 10.6 trillion KRW). These fighter jets are scheduled to be delivered to Taiwan in the third quarter of next year.

The F-16V is the latest version of the F-16, equipped with the latest active electronically scanned array (AESA) radar and tactical data link (Link-16), capable of tracking more than 20 targets simultaneously.

This model can also be equipped with various advanced air-to-air, air-to-ground, and air-to-ship weapons, leading to expectations that it will provide Taiwan's military with means to respond to Chinese military aircraft that frequently violate Taiwan's Air Defense Identification Zone (ADIZ) and the Taiwan Strait.

Spokesperson Mao emphasized, "The Chinese government's determination to safeguard national sovereignty and territorial integrity is unwavering," and urged, "We call on the United States to abide by the 'One China' principle and the three joint communiques, and to stop arms sales, military ties, and the militarization of Taiwan."

Mao added, "Otherwise, it will face a powerful counterattack from China."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.