BEIJING, Feb 21 (Reuters) - China has placed Lockheed Martin Corp (LMT.N) and Raytheon Technologies Corp (RTX.N) under sanctions over arms sales to Taiwan, the government said on Monday, at least the third time it has announced punishments against the U.S. companies.

The sanctions are countermeasures against the two companies over a $100-million Feb. 7 arms sale that "undermined China's security interests, seriously undermined China-U.S. relations and peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait", foreign ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin said at a regular news briefing.

Beijing views the self-ruled island of Taiwan as a breakaway province that must accept Chinese sovereignty and has never renounced the use of force to achieve that goal.

"In accordance with the relevant stipulations in China's anti-foreign sanctions law, the Chinese government has decided to take countermeasures on the infringing acts of Raytheon Technologies and Lockheed Martin," Wang said.

"Both are military enterprises that have long participated in U.S. arm sales to China's Taiwan region."

No further details were given on the nature of the sanctions.

This is the first time the companies have faced sanctions under China's new anti-foreign sanctions law drawn up last year in response to U.S. sanctions against Chinese companies.

On at least two previous occasions China has announced sanctions against Lockheed and Raytheon, in 2019 and 2020, though Beijing has not explained what those sanctions entailed or how they were enforced.

The United States does not sell weapons to China.

However, the United States is bound by the 1979 Taiwan Relations Act to provide Taiwan with the means to defend itself, and U.S. weapons sales always attract China's anger.

China has over the past two years stepped up its military and diplomatic pressure against Taiwan, whose government says it wants peace but will defend the island if attacked.

China regularly says Taiwan is the most important and sensitive issue in its ties with Washington, which are also strained over trade and human rights disputes.

Reuters

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When two elephants fight ---

Trump would have knack them double sanction in return. I hope biden has the balls to do something but I seriously doubt it. I have never seen an American president as weak and clueless as biden. Nobody send america again.

Let the fight and sanctions begin

Neminc:
Trump would have knack them double sanction in return. I hope biden has the balls to do something but I seriously doubt it. I have never seen an American president as weak and clueless as biden. Nobody send america again.

Upon all the sanctions wey trump knack dem. How many bring dem down? Trump was just pleasing his fellow right wing nationalist base with those sanctions he knew they had little or no effect on Chinese economy.

Neminc:
Trump would have knack them double sanction in return. I hope biden has the balls to do something but I seriously doubt it. I have never seen an American president as weak and clueless as biden. Nobody send america again.

What do you mean weak and clueless? What would you have him do than assist Taiwan and Ukraine?

You guys over hype Trump too much as if he was a god.

But I put it to you that if Trump was still president, Russia would have already annexed Ukraine with zero sanctions and pressure from US under Trump.

Putin had Trump in his pocket. But with Biden, he's more cautious and calculative.

Neminc:
Trump would have knack them double sanction in return. I hope biden has the balls to do something but I seriously doubt it. I have never seen an American president as weak and clueless as biden. Nobody send america again.

Trump was the greatest coward in the history of mankind and you are the most dumb human being alive. Since so called rubbish sanction by ant trump the trade deficit has expanded in China's favor. Coward Trump who couldn't do shit when Kim tested nuclear weapons a trillion times

The killer move on this game of chess just started. Attack from both ends, spread their concentration and army to whittle them.

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