China imposed sanctions on six U.S. companies on Thursday amid escalating trade tensions, despite an upcoming high-level meeting between President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping.
Beijing’s Ministry of Commerce declared that three U.S. companies have been added to its ‘unreliable entity list,’ effectively prohibiting them from engaging in trade and investment within China.
According to the ministry, the sanctioned companies, unmanned vehicle manufacturer Saronic Technologies, satellite firm Aerkomm, and subsea engineering company Oceaneering International, were involved in what it described as ‘military-technical cooperation with Taiwan,’ which it claims has seriously harmed China’s national sovereignty, security, and development interests, despite repeated objections.
China considers self-governed Taiwan a separatist province that it may annex by force if needed. In July, Beijing implemented export restrictions on eight companies linked to Taiwan’s military.
Separately, China placed three additional U.S. firms—shipbuilder Huntington Ingalls Industries, engineering and construction firm Planate, and service provider Global Dimensions—on China’s export control list, blocking them from receiving Chinese shipments of ‘dual-use’ items with both military and civilian purposes.
The ministry said these firms had “endangered China’s national security and interests,” making it necessary to place them on the list in order to protect those interests and “fulfill international non-proliferation obligations.”
Meanwhile, Trump has revealed plans to meet Xi Jinping next month during the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Summit in South Korea.
Beijing last sanctioned U.S. companies in April, as part of a series of retaliatory actions following massive tariff increases. During this period, import duties soared into triple digits, which nearly brought bilateral commerce to a standstill.
A provisional truce was agreed upon during the May negotiations in Geneva and was later extended after additional discussions in Stockholm.
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