China blasts US arms sale to Taiwan

China's Assistant Foreign Minister Zheng Zeguang on Wednesday summoned Kaye Lee, charge d'affaires of the US embassy in China, and made solemn representations to the United States over its authorization of arms sales to Taiwan.

Zheng made the statement shortly after the US administration announced a $1.83 billion arms sale package for Taiwan, which includes two frigates, anti-tank missiles, amphibious assault vehicles and other equipment.

"Taiwan is an inalienable part of China's territory. China strongly opposes the US arms sale to Taiwan," Zheng said. The arms sale severely goes against international law and the basic norms of international relations, severely goes against the principles in the three China-US Joint Communiqus, and severely harms China's sovereignty and security interests, he said.

"To safeguard our national interests, China has decided to take necessary measures, including imposing sanctions against the companies involved in the arms sales," Zheng said.

The authorization, which came a year after Congress passed legislation approving the sale, is the US' first major arms deal with Taiwan in more than four years.

The State Council Taiwan Affairs Office in China on Wednesday also voiced a stern protest. "We resolutely oppose any countries that sell weapons, related equipment or technology to Taiwan in any form and on any excuse," said Ma Xiaoguang, spokesperson for the office, at a press conference.

Ma added that the mainland's stance has been consistent, clear and firm. "All parties should recognize that the harmonious cross-Strait relationship can only be guaranteed through the united opposition of 'Taiwan independence,' and adherence to the 1992 Consensus, which was built around the one-China principle," Ma said.

"Meanwhile, we also hope the Taiwanese-side prizes the peaceful development of relations and does more that is conducive to improvement and development of relations," he said.

On Nov 7 in Singapore, top leaders across the Taiwan Strait Xi Jinping and Ma Ying-jeou held a historic meeting and shook hands in the spotlight. The meeting, the first of its kind since the Civil War (1945-49), was viewed by many experts and analysts as a big step forward and a milestone for the development of cross-Strait relations and the start of direct dialogue between top leaders on both sides.

Earlier on Tuesday, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hong Lei at a briefing urged the US to stop the arms sale, adding Beijing's position in opposing US arms sales to Taiwan was "solid, clear and consistent."

"I would like to reiterate that the arms sale from the US to Taiwan constitutes a grave breach of the principle of the three joint communiqus between China and the US, especially that of the August 17 Communiqu, interferes in China's domestic affairs and undermines the peaceful development of cross-Strait relations and China-US relations," said Hong.

According to the August 17 Communiqu signed in 1982, the US agreed to gradually reduce arms sales to Taiwan and indicated that they would eventually terminate such practice.

junechang@chinadailyusa.com