Foreign and Military Affairs

Boeing China: No sanctions yet for arms sales role

(Xinhua)
Updated: 2010-02-01 16:40

BEIJING: The China office of US aircraft manufacturer Boeing said Monday it had yet to receive any notice related to China's planned sanctions on companies involved in the latest US arms sales to Taiwan.

Boeing China's communications director Wang Yukui refused to respond to a flood of public criticism of the company on China's Internet forums.

Instead, he reiterated to Xinhua that China had always been a "very important" market for the company.

He said Boeing's main business in China was commercial aircraft, and this was doing very well.

The US government announced Friday a plan to sell up to $6.4 billion worth of weapons to Taiwan, which involved Boeing as a supplier.

China on Saturday announced it would implement sanctions on US companies involved in the sale and suspend scheduled visits between Chinese and US armed forces.

Chinese online chatrooms were filled with criticism of the US arms sales to Taiwan and support for the government over its intended sanction against US companies involved.

Corporate greed should also be blamed for US government decision to sell the weapons to Taiwan, according to many of the postings.

Boeing entered the Chinese market 38 years ago. China's growing economy and an rising number of people who can afford air traveling have made the aviation industry particularly lucrative in the global economic downturn.