China has sanctioned two American defense firms for selling weapons to Taiwan

China has barred entry into the country for the chief executives of two American defense companies and seized their properties in response to arms sales to Taiwan, the Foreign Ministry announced on Thursday, according to Reuters.

The measures, effective from Thursday, targeted General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, which produces unmanned aircraft systems, and military vehicle manufacturer General Dynamics Land Systems, a unit of General Dynamics.

China stated that the arms sales “seriously interfere” with its internal affairs and “harm” the sovereignty and territorial integrity of China.

“The continuation of US arms sales to the Chinese region of Taiwan constitutes a serious violation of the ‘One China’ principle and the provisions of the three Sino-US joint communiques,” it said.

China declared that it had seized the firms’ properties in China and banned their directors from entering the country.

Both companies did not immediately respond to a request for comments.

Last year, China imposed sanctions on American aerospace and defense firms Northrop Grumman and Lockheed Martin for supplying weapons to Taiwan.

Taiwan has announced that its annual war games this year will involve practicing “killer zones” at sea to break a blockade and simulate repelling a Chinese exercise around the island that turns into a real attack.

China, which considers democratic-governed Taiwan as its territory, has been conducting regular exercises around the island over the past four years to pressure Taipei to accept Beijing’s sovereignty claim, despite strong objections from Taiwan.

The United States is holding a series of security talks with several countries this week.

The United States, Britain, and Australia, under the AUKUS security pact, have discussed cooperation with Japan, while the US separately announced plans to shift its military command position in Japan to enhance coordination and boost deterrence against Chinese pressure.

Additionally, the US will host a trilateral summit on Thursday with Japan and the Philippines to discuss China’s increasing pressure in the South China Sea.