WASHINGTON, June 30 (Xinhua) — China firmly opposes the U.S. arms sale to Taiwan and urges the United States to immediately revoke its decision, the spokesperson of the Chinese Embassy here said Friday, June 30.
“The wrong move of the U.S. side runs counter to the consensus reached by the two presidents in Mar-a-Lago and the positive development momentum of the China-U.S. relationship,” the spokesperson said, adding that “it will harm the mutual trust and cooperation between China and the United States.”
Media reported the U.S. State Department Thursday approved an arms sale to Taiwan worth about 1.4 billion U.S. dollars, the first such deal with Taiwan since U.S. President Donald Trump took office.
The move seriously violates the principles of the three Joint Communiques between China and the United States, in particular, the August 17, 1982 U.S.-China Communique on Arms Sales to Taiwan, and grossly interferes in China’s domestic affairs, jeopardizes China’s sovereign and security interest and undermines China’s efforts to realize national unification, the spokesperson said.
“The Chinese government and Chinese people have every right to be outraged. The Chinese side has lodged serious representations with the U.S. side, and reserves every right to take further action,” the spokesperson added.
The spokesperson also criticized the move as sending “a very wrong signal” to the “Taiwan independence” forces and harming cross-Straits peace and stability.
“The United States has repeatedly said that it has profound interest in maintaining peace and stability across the Straits. However, its deeds contradicted its words,” the spokesperson said.
The spokesperson reiterated that China is confident and capable of containing the separatist activities of the “Taiwan independence” forces and defend its sovereignty and territorial integrity.Φ
This article first appeared at XinHuanet on June 30. The editor is Mu Xuequan.