Taiwan Affairs Office demands US halt fighter jet sale to island

China has again urged the United States to immediately stop acts supporting the separatist forces of "Taiwan independence", Ma Xiaoguang, the spokesman for the State Council's Taiwan Affairs Office, said on Thursday.

The US State Department has approved the possible sale of an $8 billion arms package — featuring up to 66 Lockheed Martin F-16 multirole fighter jets — to Taiwan, the US Defense Security Cooperation Agency said on Tuesday.

Despite China's strong opposition, the US was insisting on arms sales to Taiwan and brutally interfering in China's domestic affairs, Ma said, adding that the US was seriously violating the one-China principle and severely damaging Sino-US ties and the peace and security of the Taiwan Straits.

"We once again urge the US to immediately stop arms sales to Taiwan and stop supporting the separatist forces of 'Taiwan independence'," he said.

Ma said the Democratic Progressive Party, the ruling party of the island, had ignored the well-being and safety of Taiwan compatriots, and sold itself to the US.

"It is shameless," he said. "The DPP is driving the 23 million Taiwan residents to a dead end and it will definitely be punished by history."