The Chinese regime said on Sept. 16 that it is sanctioning top executives of two U.S. arms firms in retaliation for recently selling arms to Taiwan.
The sanctions were imposed on Gregory J. Hayes, CEO of Raytheon Technologies Corporation, and Theodore Colbert, CEO of Boeing Defense, Space and Security, for the involvement of their companies in the deal, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said at a regular briefing on Friday.
The move came after the State Department on Sept. 2 approved a potential $1.1 billion sale of military equipment to Taiwan. The package includes 60 anti-ship missiles and 100 air-to-air missiles, of which the principal contractors are Boeing Defense, a division of Boeing, and Raytheon, respectively.
Ning did not provide details on what the sanctions entailed or how they would be enforced. Previous sanctions on Western individuals have barred them from entering China or doing business there. Such restrictions are unlikely to significantly affect Hayes or Colbert.
The Chinese regime routinely reacts aggressively and punitively against U.S. measures in support of Taiwan, a self-ruled island that the regime considers to be its own and if necessary, to be taken by force. Taiwan, however, has never been ruled by the Chinese Communist Party and has been a separate entity for more than 70 years.
In August, in response to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s (D-Calif.) trip to Taiwan—the highest-ranking U.S. official to visit Taipei in 25 years—the regime launched its largest-ever military drills around the island, launched cyberattacks on Taiwanese infrastructure, slapped import bans on Taiwan products, canceled military communications with the United States, and suspended cooperation with Washington in several areas including climate.
The Chinese regime also slapped unspecified sanctions on Pelosi in retaliation for her visit.
The United States is Taiwan’s largest arms supplier and is bound by law to provide Taiwan with the means to defend itself.
The Chinese regime has previously sanctioned Raytheon, Boeing Defense, and unspecified individuals involved in arms sales to Taiwan. But Friday’s announcement marks the first time China has named individuals from those companies as targeted by sanctions.
By Cathy He
