China on Monday announced sanctions on 10 American military-related companies in response to a recent US move that bars some leading Chinese tech companies from defense contracts.Its Commerce Ministry said Chinese companies would be blocked from exporting “dual-use” items to the 10 companies, which include military drone makers and some involved in rare earth mining. Dual use refers to goods that can have military as well as non-military applications.The ministry said the export ban was both to safeguard China’s national security and in response to what it called the US government’s “wrongful expansion of its so-called List of Chinese Military Companies”.Separately, the Finance Ministry said government entities would be prohibited from buying products from 46 American companies including Lockheed Martin and Raytheon Missiles & Defence, the official Xinhua News Agency reported.