Lockheed Martin executives and business units face sanctions from China for Taiwan arms deal

China announced on Friday that it has imposed a ban on several business units of American aerospace manufacturer Lockheed Martin Corp. and three of its executives due to arms deals signed with Taiwan, an island that China claims as its own territory. The ban was described as a response to actions that China believes violate its sovereignty, a common phrase used in discussions of outside support for Taiwan.

The sanctions, targeting Lockheed Martin Missile System Integration Lab, Lockheed Martin Advanced Technology Laboratories, and Lockheed Martin Ventures, were largely seen as symbolic given the suspension of military cooperation between the United States and China since 1989. The ban also included top executives James Donald Taiclet, Frank Andrew St. John, and Jesus Malave, preventing them from traveling to China.

China has been developing its domestic aircraft industry, producing parts, planes, and services for Airbus and manufacturing its own commercial jets. While foreign technology has played a significant role in this growth, Chinese companies are increasingly able to replace their overseas suppliers with domestic options.

Taiwan heavily relies on American suppliers for arms while working to strengthen its own defense industries and increase mandatory military service. This is occurring in the context of China’s growing threat to Taiwan, aiming to surround or invade the island to fulfill what it considers a historical mission to annex Taiwan, which separated from mainland China in 1949 after a civil war.