Ministry: $500m US military deal with Taiwan has 'poisoned' relations

Beijing resolutely opposes the recent $500 million military deal between the United States and Taiwan, calling the move "a complete mistake" and "very dangerous", a spokesman for the Ministry of National Defense said on Wednesday.

The new deal, approved by the US State Department on April 15 and currently being reviewed by Congress, consists of training programs in the US for F-16 fighter jet pilots and maintenance crews. The State Department said the sale is meant to improve the defensive capabilities of Taiwan.

Senior Colonel Wu Qian, a spokesman for the ministry, said in an online statement that China resolutely opposes any country selling arms to or having military interactions with Taiwan.

"The action by the US has seriously violated the one-China principle and the three Sino-US joint communiques," he said. "It interferes with China's internal affairs, undermining its sovereignty and security interests."

Wu said the recent move has "poisoned the Sino-US military relationship and seriously damaged cross-Straits relations and peace and security in the region." He called the move "a complete mistake and very dangerous".

The Taiwan question is related to China's sovereignty and territorial integrity, as well as its core interests, and it is the most sensitive issue in Sino-US ties, he said.

Wu said Taiwan's attempt to rely on foreign forces and the US using Taiwan to contain China are doomed to fail. China demands that the US immediately cancel related arms sales to Taiwan and stop all military interaction with the island to avoid further damage to Sino-US military relations, bilateral ties and the peace and security of the Taiwan Straits, he said.

"The Chinese military has the resolve, confidence and capability to foil any form of foreign interference or Taiwan secession effort," he said. "It will resolutely protect national sovereignty and territorial integrity, and maintain peace and security in the region."