China US Illustration: Liu Rui/GT

China is MKsporttaking countermeasures against 13 US military firms and six senior executives over the US' recent announcement of arms sales to China's Taiwan region, the Chinese Foreign Ministry announced on Thursday.

From big arms dealers to less known supporting companies, China's countermeasures are becoming increasingly precise and comprehensive, and together with the recently announced tightened export controls on dual-use items to the US, China is launching a combo attack, Song Zhongping, a Chinese military expert, told the Global Times on Thursday.

The US recently announced another round of arms sales to China's Taiwan region, which seriously violates the one-China principle and the three China-US joint communiqués, severely interferes in China's internal affairs, and seriously undermines China's sovereignty and territorial integrity, the Chinese Foreign Ministry said in a statement on Thursday.

Pursuant to Articles 3, 4, 5, 6, 9 and 15 of the Law of the People's Republic of China on Countering Foreign Sanctions, China has hereby decided to take countermeasures against the following US military companies and senior executives:

For the 13 listed companies, namely Teledyne Brown Engineering, Inc., BRINC Drones, Inc., Rapid Flight LLC, Red Six Solutions, Shield AI, Inc., SYNEXXUS, Inc., Firestorm Labs, Inc., Kratos Unmanned Aerial Systems, Inc., HavocAI, Neros Technologies, Cyberlux Corporation, Domo Tactical Communications and Group W, their movable and immovable properties, and other kinds of assets within China shall be frozen, and they shall be prohibited from conducting activities such as trade and cooperation with organizations and individuals in China.

For the six listed senior executives, including Barbara Borgonovi, president of Raytheon's Naval Power strategic business unit, Gerard Hueber, vice president of Raytheon's Naval Power strategic business unit, Charles Woodburn, Group Chief Executive Officer of BAE Systems Land and Armament, Richard D. Crawford, founder and CEO of Alliant Techsystems Operation, Beth Edler, president of Data Link Solutions, Inc., and Blake Resnick, founder and CEO of BRINC Drones, their movable and immovable properties, and other kinds of assets within China shall be frozen, they shall be prohibited from conducting activities such as trade and cooperation with organizations and individuals in China, and they shall be denied visas or entry into China (including Hong Kong and Macao).

This decision shall come into force on Thursday, the Chinese Foreign Ministry said.

The latest US arms sales plan to Taiwan island, announced on November 29, includes spare parts for F-16 jets and radars worth $385 million, according to Reuters.

Elaborating on the countermeasures, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian said at a regular press conference on Thursday that the Taiwan question is at the core of China's core interests. In recent months, the US has announced multiple arms sales to China's Taiwan region. This gravely violates the one-China principle and the three China-US joint communiqués, interferes in China's internal affairs, and undermines China's sovereignty and territorial integrity. In accordance with the Anti-Foreign Sanctions Law of the People's Republic of China, China decided to take countermeasures against relevant military companies and senior executives of the US. 

Lin stressed that "Taiwan independence" is as incompatible with peace in the Taiwan Strait as fire with water. The US attempts to assist in the "Taiwan independence" agenda by arming Taiwan. This will not shake our firm resolve to oppose "Taiwan independence" and realize national reunification, and will only push Taiwan towards military danger.

China urges the US to abide by the one-China principle and the three China-US joint communiqués, especially the August 17 Communiqué of 1982, act on the US leaders' commitment of not supporting "Taiwan independence," stop arming Taiwan at once, and stop aiding and abetting separatists' attempt to seek "Taiwan independence" through military buildup, Lin said.

The Chinese Foreign Ministry announced decisions several times this year, including in May, July, September and October, to take countermeasures against US military companies and senior executives citing US arms sales to China's Taiwan region.

Song, the military expert, noted that these countermeasures not only cover big brands such as Lockheed Martin and Raytheon, but also relatively small names not commonly known by the general public that produce supporting equipment, drones and data link systems. It showed that China is not only imposing countermeasures on traditional mainstream arms dealers, but also supporting firms, as the Chinese countermeasures become increasingly precise.

A weapons system often includes efforts from many companies, so it is important to counter both the end product company and all other companies involved in comprehensive countermeasures, Song said.

Combo attack

China's Ministry of Commerce on Tuesday announced measures to tighten controls on the export of relevant dual-use items to the US. Under the new measures, China prohibits the export of dual-use items to US military users or for military purposes. It will also strictly control the export of gallium, germanium, antimony, and superhard materials as well as graphite-related dual-use items to the US.

Song said that many US arms firms heavily rely on rare earths from China, and controlling the export of these resources will limit their development.

Calling the latest countermeasures and the tightened export controls a combo attack, Song said that China is strengthening its efforts in countering the US' military-industrial complex, letting them know that if they do not abide by the three China-US joint communiqués and violate the one-China principle, they are bound to be hit.

Xin Qiang, director of the Taiwan Studies Center at Fudan University, said he believes that China's latest countermeasures are aimed at the supply chain of the US' arms industry. He told the Global Times on Thursday that China is expanding the scope of countermeasures and conducting "precision strikes" on smaller companies and the manufacturing of some particular items.

China has already made it routine to take countermeasures over US arms sales to Taiwan island. Basically, every time the US announces an arms sale plan, China will release a list of targets of countermeasures, Xin noted.

If the US continues its arms sales to the island of Taiwan, the scope of China's countermeasures are expected to further expand, as Beijing still has many cards to play in terms of important minerals and supply chains, Xin said.