(AP) – China’s government says it will impose sanctions on U.S. companies including Boeing and Lockheed Martin for supplying weapons to rival Taiwan.
A foreign ministry spokesman said Raytheon also will be affected. The spokesman gave no details of what penalties might be imposed or when. China and Taiwan split during a civil war in 1949 and have no diplomatic relations. Beijing claims the democratically led island as part of Chinese territory and has threatened to invade.
Taiwan has long been an irritant in relations. Washington has no formal relations with the island’s democratically elected government but is its main ally and U.S. law requires the government to ensure Taiwan can defend itself.