China announced sanctions on Friday against the CEOs of American defense contractors Boeing Defense and Raytheon over a $1.1 Billion U.S. arms sale to rival Taiwan (Wikipedia)
By Gary Raynaldo DIPLOMATIC TIMES
China announced Friday it is imposing sanctions on Gregory J. Hayes, chairman and CEO of Raytheon Technologies Corp., and Theodore Colbert III, president and CEO of Boeing Defense, Space & Security over a planned U.S. $1.1 Billion arms sale to rival Taiwan. The Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs said the actions are being taken in reaction to the major U.S. arms sale that was announced September 2. The U.S. announced a $1.09 billion arms sale to Taiwan, including $355 million for Boeing’s Harpoon missiles and $85 million for Raytheon’s Sidewinder missiles. Immediately after the U.S. arms sale was disclosed, the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson said China would “firmly defend our own sovereignty and security interests”. At a press briefing Friday, China MFA spokesperson Mao Ning said:
“US arms sales to China’s Taiwan region seriously violate the one-China principle and the provisions of the three China-US joint communiqués, especially the August 17 Communiqué of 1982. The arms sales gravely undermine China’s sovereignty and security interests, and severely harm China-US relations and peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait. China firmly opposes and strongly condemns the sales. To defend China’s sovereignty and security interests, the Chinese government has decided to sanction Gregory J. Hayes, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Raytheon Technologies Corporation, and Theodore Colbert III, President and Chief Executive Officer of Boeing Defense, Space & Security, who were involved in the latest arms sale.”
-China MFA spokesperson Mao Ning Sept. 16, 2022
The Foreign Ministry spokesperson did not specify what the sanctions would be against the CEO’s, and added: “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 communiqués, stop arms sales to Taiwan and military contact with Taiwan, and stop creating factors that could lead to tensions in the Taiwan Strait. ”
Ted Colbert is executive vice president of The Boeing Company and president and chief executive officer of Boeing Defense, Space & Security (Credit: boeing.com)
On April 1, 2022, Boeing named Ted Colbert as the head of its defense division, naming him president and chief executive officer of the aviation company’s Defense, Space & Security business. The unit garnered revenues of $26.5 billion in 2021, with the U.S. government as one of its biggest customers. Colbert had previously headed Boeing Global Services.
