China announced 12 US military-industrial companies and their senior executives as new sanction targets on Wednesday. The sanctions include the freeze of movable, immovable and other types of properties in China, and the refusal to issue visas and deny entry (including to Hong Kong and Macau) to 10 senior executives of the companies.

The Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs contended that this decision came in response to two issues. Firstly, China claimed that the US is selling weapons to Taiwan. China argued that selling weapons to Taiwan violates the one-China principle and the provisions of the Three Joint Communiqués. By selling weapons to Taiwan, the US is also interfering in China’s internal affairs and damaging China’s sovereignty and territorial integrity. On April 11, 2024, China also issued sanctions against two US entities citing the same reason. On May 23, 2024, the spokesperson of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of China, Wang Wenbin, urged the US to stop conniving and supporting Taiwan Independence forces and interfering in China’s internal affairs.

Secondly, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated that the imposition of unilateral sanctions on several Chinese entities, citing their involvement with Russia in the Russo-Ukrainian War, undermines the legitimate rights and interests of Chinese companies, institutions, and individuals.

According to Article 3 of the Anti-foreign Sanctions Law of China, where a foreign country, in violation of international law and basic norms of international relations, contains or suppresses China under various pretexts or pursuant to its own laws, adopts discriminatory restrictive measures against any Chinese citizen or organization, and meddles in China’s internal affairs, China shall have the right to adopt corresponding countermeasures.