China’s foreign ministry said it has imposed sanctions on 10 individuals and 20 US defence companies, including Boeing’s St Louis branch, over weapons sales to Taiwan. The move reflects Beijing’s strong opposition to military support for the island.

Under the sanctions, any assets owned by the targeted companies and individuals in China will be frozen. Chinese organizations and citizens have also been barred from doing business with them. The ministry added that the individuals on the list, including the founder of ‘Anduril Industries’ and senior executives from sanctioned firms, are banned from entering China. Other affected companies include ‘Northrop Grumman Systems Corporation’ and ‘L3Harris Maritime Services’.

The decision comes after the United States announced arms sales worth $11.1 billion to Taiwan, the largest weapons package ever approved for the island. Beijing described the move as a serious provocation.

A Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson said the Taiwan issue is “the core of China’s core interests” and warned that any action crossing this red line would face a strong response. China urged the US to stop what it called dangerous efforts to arm Taiwan.

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China considers Taiwan part of its territory, a claim rejected by Taipei. The United States, while recognizing China diplomatically, is legally bound to help Taiwan defend itself, making arms sales a long-running source of friction.

Separately, US trade officials said China’s policies aimed at dominating the semiconductor industry are unfair. A US Trade Representative investigation found China’s actions burden US commerce and could justify penalties.

However, Washington will delay new tariffs on Chinese semiconductors. Current zero tariffs will be raised on June 23, 2027, with the exact rate to be announced at least 30 days in advance.