China slams US approval of arms sale to Taiwan

BEIJING (China Daily/ANN): A spokesperson for China's foreign ministry slammed the United States over the State Department's approval of arms sale to Taiwan, saying that China will resolutely take legitimate and necessary counter-measures in light of the development of the situation.

In an online response on Thursday (Aug 5), the spokesperson said Beijing is firmly opposed to this and has lodged solemn representations with the US side.

The Chinese response came after the Pentagon's Defence Security Cooperation Agency announced on Wednesday that the US State Department has approved the sale of 40 Medium Self-Propelled Howitzer artillery systems to Taiwan in a deal valued at US$750 million.

The Chinese spokesperson said the action jeopardised China-US relations and peace and stability across the Taiwan Straits.

Taiwan is an inalienable part of the Chinese territory, and the US has interfered in China's internal affairs and undermined China's sovereignty and security interests by selling arms to the Taiwan region, said the spokesperson.

"It runs counter to international law and basic principles in international relations, and violates the one-China principle and provisions of the three China-US joint communiques, especially the Aug 17 Communique,” the spokesperson said, adding that the action has sent erroneous wrong signals to "Taiwan independence" separatist forces.

China urges the US side to honour its commitment and earnestly abide by the one-China principle and the three China-US joint communiques, the spokesperson said.

The US must stop arms sales to and military interactions with Taiwan, and immediately revoke relevant arms sales to Taiwan, "lest it should cause more damage to China-US relations and peace and stability across the Taiwan Straits," warned the spokesperson. - China Daily/Asia News Network