China: Uninterrupted US arms sale to Taiwan violates ‘one-China’ principle
China has strongly condemned the US government’s new plan to export arms worth $1.1 billion to Chinese Taipei, saying any military contact with the self-ruled island violates the "one China" principle.
Liu Pengyu, spokesman of the Chinese embassy in Washington, said the US must “immediately stop” selling weapons to the self-ruled island.
The comments came in reaction to a report that US President Joe Biden plans to propose the sale of a $1.1 billion weapons package to Taiwan that includes 60 anti-ship missiles and 100 air-to-air missiles.
“The US side needs to immediately stop arms sales to and military contact with Taiwan, stop creating factors that could lead to tensions in the Taiwan Strait, and follow through on the US government statement of not supporting ‘Taiwan independence,” the Chinese diplomat stressed.
He said China will continue its resolute and strong measures to firmly defend Chinese sovereignty and security interests, while warning that it would escalate tensions across the Taiwan Strait and encourage pro-Taiwan independence separatists.
The new package would include 60 AGM-84L Harpoon Block II missiles for US$355 million, 100 AIM-9X Block II Sidewinder tactical air-to-air missiles for US$85.6 million, and an extension of a surveillance radar contract worth US$655.4 million, according to a report in Politico.
The Sidewinder missiles will arm Taipei's US-made F-16 fighter jets, the report noted, citing sources.
A US State Department spokesperson refused to comment on the report.
"As a matter of policy, we do not publicly comment or confirm proposed defense sales until they have new formally notified to Congress," the spokesperson was quoted as saying by CNA Monday.
The development comes amid heightened tensions between the two arch-rivals after US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s controversial visit to the self-ruled island earlier this month.
The visit, which Beijing had sternly warned against, prompted it to hold a series of military drills around Taiwan in a show of military might against repetitive US provocations.
Last week, another US lawmaker, Senator Marsha Blackburn, arrived in the self-ruled island, on the third visit by a US dignitary in less than a month, defying pressure from Beijing to halt the trips.
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