BEIJING (Reuters) - China has banned senior executives of Raytheon Missiles & Defense and Lockheed Martin Corp from entering, working, staying and residing in the country since Feb. 16, the Ministry of Commerce said on Tuesday.

Raytheon and Lockheed Martin have been involved in arms sales to Taiwan for a long time, the ministry said.

China banned the two U.S. firms from carrying out import and export activities with Chinese enterprises in a bid to prevent Chinese products from being used in their military businesses.

Raytheon Missiles & Defense is a unit of Raytheon Technologies Corp.

(Reporting by Hong Kong newsroom; editing by Jonathan Oatis)