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dpa
Taipei/Beijing
The US has approved a $100-million arms sale to Taiwan to help boost the island’s missile defence systems, in a move that irked China.
The US Defense Security Cooperation Agency confirmed the sale on Monday in a statement and said it would help improve Taipei’s security and assist in maintaining political stability, military balance and progress in the region.
Taiwan’s Ministry of National Defence on Tuesday expressed gratitude for the US approval. Taiwan presidential spokesperson Xavier Chang said the fact this marked the second arms sale to Taiwan approved by Washington showed that the US-Taiwan collaborative partnership remained “rock solid.” The US legally committed to supporting Taiwan’s defence capabilities in the 1979 Taiwan Relations Act.
The move drew ire from China, as it considers self-ruled Taiwan part of its territory, despite the island having an independent government since 1949.
In Beijing, Zhao Lijian, a spokesman for China’s Foreign Ministry, on Tuesday condemned the arms sale plan, saying that the US move “seriously undermines China’s sovereignty and security interests, as well as China-US relations in general and peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait.” Stressing the one China principle and the three China-US joint communiqués, Zhao urged the United States to “immediately revoke the above mentioned arms sales plan, stop selling arms to Taiwan and stop having military interactions with Taiwan.” Tensions have flared recently between China and Taiwan, in part due to increasing incursions by Chinese fighter jets into Taiwan’s airspace.
Taipei/Beijing
The US has approved a $100-million arms sale to Taiwan to help boost the island’s missile defence systems, in a move that irked China.
The US Defense Security Cooperation Agency confirmed the sale on Monday in a statement and said it would help improve Taipei’s security and assist in maintaining political stability, military balance and progress in the region.
Taiwan’s Ministry of National Defence on Tuesday expressed gratitude for the US approval. Taiwan presidential spokesperson Xavier Chang said the fact this marked the second arms sale to Taiwan approved by Washington showed that the US-Taiwan collaborative partnership remained “rock solid.” The US legally committed to supporting Taiwan’s defence capabilities in the 1979 Taiwan Relations Act.
The move drew ire from China, as it considers self-ruled Taiwan part of its territory, despite the island having an independent government since 1949.
In Beijing, Zhao Lijian, a spokesman for China’s Foreign Ministry, on Tuesday condemned the arms sale plan, saying that the US move “seriously undermines China’s sovereignty and security interests, as well as China-US relations in general and peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait.” Stressing the one China principle and the three China-US joint communiqués, Zhao urged the United States to “immediately revoke the above mentioned arms sales plan, stop selling arms to Taiwan and stop having military interactions with Taiwan.” Tensions have flared recently between China and Taiwan, in part due to increasing incursions by Chinese fighter jets into Taiwan’s airspace.
