China sanctions military firms and executives over US arms sales to Taiwan

China has sanctioned seven military industrial companies and related senior executives over U.S. arms assistance and sales to Taiwan, the Chinese foreign ministry said on Friday.

Boeing subsidiary Insitu Inc., RTX Inc.'s Raytheon Canada and Raytheon Australia, as well as Hudson Technologies Co. are among the companies listed by the ministry in a statement.

The U.S. recently approved $571.3 million in defence support for Taiwan, after giving the go-ahead to arms sales worth an estimated $385 million.

China claims democratically governed Taiwan as its own territory and has never renounced the use of force to bring the island under its control. Taiwan strongly objects to China's sovereignty claims and says only the island's people can decide their future.

The U.S. is bound by law to provide Taiwan with the means to defend itself, despite the lack of formal diplomatic ties between Washington and Taipei.

The sanctions will freeze the companies and executives' assets in China and ban organizations and individuals in China from trading or collaborating with them, the ministry said.

The U.S. move "seriously undermines China's sovereignty and territorial integrity," a ministry spokesperson said in a regular press briefing on Friday.

China urges the U.S. to abide by the one-China principle and stop arming Taiwan, the spokesperson Mao Ning said, adding that Beijing will "take all necessary measures" to safeguard its security and interests.