Beijing sanctions US firms on Taiwan arms sales

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning announced on Friday sanctions on two companies in the United States involved in Washington's constant arms sales to the Taiwan region, in a resolute move to safeguard China's national sovereignty and territorial integrity.

The first company, Lockheed Martin, St. Louis, MO, was directly involved as the principal contractor in the US government's $500 million worth of arms sales to Taiwan on Aug 24. The second is Northrop Grumman, which has been frequently engaged in Washington's sales of arms to Taiwan, she said.

"China has decided to impose sanctions on these two above-mentioned US defense corporations in accordance with the Anti-Foreign Sanctions Law of the People's Republic of China," Mao said at a regular news briefing in Beijing.