China's Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning holds a regular press conference on Sept 15, 2022. (PHOTO / FMPRC)

BEIJING - China has decided to impose sanctions on two senior executives of American firms involved in the latest US arms sales to Taiwan, to defend China's national sovereignty and security interests, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said on Friday.

The Chinese government has decided to impose sanctions on Gregory Hayes, chairman and chief executive officer of Raytheon Technologies Corporation, and Theodore Colbert III, president and chief executive officer of Boeing Defense, Space & Security, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said

The Chinese government has decided to impose sanctions on Gregory Hayes, chairman and chief executive officer of Raytheon Technologies Corporation, and Theodore Colbert III, president and chief executive officer of Boeing Defense, Space & Security, Mao said.

The US arms sales to China's Taiwan region seriously violate the one-China principle and the provisions of the three China-US joint communiques, particularly the Aug 17 Communique. Such moves have severely undermined China's sovereignty and security interests, as well as China-US relations and peace and stability across the Taiwan Straits, Mao said.

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"China firmly opposes and strongly condemns the arms sales," she told a daily press briefing.

Mao said that China once again urges the US government and relevant parties to abide by the one-China principle and the provisions of the three China-US joint communiques, cease arms sales to Taiwan and military contact with Taiwan, and stop creating new factors that could lead to tensions in the Taiwan Straits.

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China will continue to take all necessary measures to firmly defend its own sovereignty and security interests in light of the development of the situation, she said.