China urges U.S. to revoke arms sale to Taiwan

A Chinese defense spokesperson on Thursday urged the United States to immediately revoke its plan to sell arms to Taiwan, and stop military ties with Taiwan to avoid causing further damage to China-U.S. relations and the relations between their militaries.

Tan Kefei, a spokesperson for China's Ministry of National Defense, made the remarks in response to a plan approved by the U.S. State Department for arms sale to China's Taiwan region worth 95 million U.S. dollars.

The U.S. arms sale seriously violates the one-China principle and the stipulations of the three China-U.S. joint communiques, especially the August 17 Communique, and grossly interferes with China's internal affairs, Tan noted.

It also gravely undermines China's sovereignty and security interests, severely harms the relations between the two countries and their militaries, and also gravely sabotages peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait, Tan said.

China is firmly opposed to the move and lodges solemn representations to the U.S. side, Tan added.

"Taiwan is an inalienable part of Chinese territory," Tan said, noting that the Taiwan question concerns China's core interests and brooks no foreign interference.

China urges the United States to abide by the one-China principle and the stipulations of the three China-U.S. joint communiques, immediately revoke the arms sale plan and stop military ties with Taiwan, to avoid causing further damage to the relations between the two countries and their militaries, Tan said.

The Chinese People's Liberation Army will take firm and strong measures to thwart any form of interference by external forces and separatist attempts for "Taiwan independence", and resolutely defend China's national sovereignty and territorial integrity.