China sanctions Boeing after Trump approves $11bn arms sale to Taiwan

 China has hit Boeing with sanctions after Donald Trump approved an $11bn (£8.2bn) package of arms sales to Taiwan.

The foreign ministry in Beijing on Friday announced new sanctions on 10 individuals and 20 US defence companies – including Boeing’s production hub in St Louis, Missouri.

Boeing’s St Louis headquarters are a major manufacturing hub for fighter jets including the F-15EX Eagle, as well as the autonomous MQ-25 Stingray aerial refueller. Other companies targeted include Northrop Grumman and L3Harris Maritime ‍Services.

It marks a ratcheting up of tensions a week after Mr Trump’s administration unveiled one of its largest ever packages of arms sales to Taiwan.

The deal, which includes missile systems and drones, is worth more than $11bn (£8bn). It exceeds the value of all arms sales made to Taiwan under the Biden administration.

The move – which still requires approval from the US Congress – prompted a furious response from Beijing. China accused America of undermining stability in the region and accelerating the prospect of war.

A spokesman for China’s foreign minister on Friday said: “The Taiwan issue ‍is the core of China’s core interests and the first red line that cannot be crossed in China-US relations.

“Any provocative actions that cross the line on the Taiwan issue ​will be met with ‍a strong response from China.”

‘Imminent invasion’

The sanctions includes a freeze on any assets the individuals and firms hold in China and blocks domestic companies and individuals from doing any business with them.

Individuals on the list are also banned from entering China. The list includes Palmer Luckey, the founder of Anduril Industries, a drone-focused defence firm.

During a visit to Taiwan earlier this year, Mr Luckey said “no threat is larger than that of the Chinese Communist Party”.

And speaking on a recent podcast, he said: “Anything we are working on, anything that we are investing in, needs to be built with the assumption that sometime in 2027, China is going to move on Taiwan.”

The sanctions are unlikely to have much impact in practice as the companies and executives have little or no presence in China.

Nevertheless, the announcement will serve as a warning shot to Washington amid tensions between the two superpowers over the fate of Taiwan.

Beijing views democratically-governed Taiwan as part of its territory and has said the island of 23 million inhabitants must be unified with the mainland. Taipei, which rejects the claim, has said it is preparing for an “imminent invasion” by China.

The US maintains unofficial diplomatic relations with Taiwan, under which it is mandated to supply the island nation with weapons to defend itself.

The US state department has said the arms sales “will help improve the security of the recipient and assist in maintaining political stability, military balance, and economic progress in the region”.

Taiwan has also been ramping up its own defences, with Lai Ching-te, the president, outlining plans to increase defence spending by $40bn. Taipei last month purchased a £500m air defence system from US company Raytheon.

The sanctions come ahead of Mr Trump’s planned visit to Beijing in April.