The Chinese Foreign Ministry announced on Sunday that China firmly opposes and has lodged serious representations with the United States over its latest arms sales and military assistance to Taiwan region.
The announcement came after the White House on Saturday unveiled military assistance worth $571.3 million to Taiwan region, alongside the U.S. Department of Defense’s approval of $295 million in arms sales to the island.
A spokesperson for the ministry stated that the United States’ approval for military assistance and arms sales to Taiwan region seriously violates the one-China principle and the three China-U.S. joint communiques, especially the August 17 Communique of 1982, infringing on China’s sovereignty and security interests.
The decision is a severe breach of U.S. leaders’ commitment to not support “Taiwan independence,” the spokesperson added, sending a gravely wrong signal to “Taiwan secessionist” forces.
“To aid ‘Taiwan independence’ by arming Taiwan is like playing with fire and will get the U.S. burned, and to use the Taiwan question to contain China is doomed to fail,” the spokesperson emphasized, stressing that the Taiwan question is at the core of China’s core interests and represents the first red line that cannot be crossed in China-U.S. relations.
“China urges the U.S. to immediately stop arming Taiwan and halt dangerous moves that undermine peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait. We will take all necessary measures to firmly defend national sovereignty, security, and territorial integrity,” the spokesperson declared.
On the same day, a spokesperson for the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council, Zhu Fenglian, responded to the issue.
“‘Taiwan secessionist’ activities and external interference are the biggest threats to peace across the Taiwan Strait,” Zhu said.
“We urge the U.S. side to immediately stop arming Taiwan and handle the Taiwan question with extra prudence,” she stated, warning the Democratic Progressive Party authorities that “using force to seek independence is a dead end.”
Reference(s):
China opposes new U.S. arms sales, military assistance to Taiwan
cgtn.com
