REUTERS/Kim Kyung-Hoon/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsBEIJING, Sept 15 (Reuters) - China will impose sanctions against U.S. aerospace and defence firms Northrop Grumman (NOC.N) and Lockheed Martin (LMT.N) for providing weapons to Taiwan, the Chinese foreign ministry said on Friday.
The sanctions are being enacted under China's Anti-Foreign Sanctions Law, ministry spokesperson Mao Ning told a regular press briefing.
Mao named Lockheed Martin Corp's branch in Missouri as the prime contractor that was directly involved in an arms sale to Taiwan on Aug. 24 and said Northrop Grumman has repeatedly participated in the sale of weapons to Taiwan.
Taiwan has also reported dozens of Chinese fighters, bombers and other aircraft flying into its air defence zone this week.
China's wide-ranging law to counter foreign sanctions came into force in 2021 in an apparent move to legalise tit-for-tat retaliation against punitive actions taken by foreign countries.
Persons:
Kim Kyung, Northrop, Lockheed Martin, Mao Ning, Mao, Northrop Grumman, Joe Biden, Joe Cash, Liz Lee, Kim Coghill, Christian
Organizations:
Lockheed, Japan Aerospace, REUTERS, Rights, U.S, Northrop Grumman, China's, Foreign, Thomson
Locations:
Japan, Tokyo, Rights BEIJING, China, Taiwan, U.S, Missouri, China . U.S, Shandong, Taiwan's, Beijing