China sanctions several Lockheed Martin units, three executives over arms deals with Taiwan

BEIJING (AP) — China says it has banned a number of business units of American aviation maker Lockheed Martin Corporation and three of its executives over arms deals with Taiwan, the self-ruling island it claims as its own territory. The statement Friday from China’s Foreign Ministry said the company’s cooperation with Taiwan had violated the country’s sovereignty. The effects of the sanctions appeared largely symbolic since such cooperation between the sides has been suspended since the People’s Liberation Army’s crackdown on student-led pro-democracy protests in Beijing and other cities in 1989.