Lin Jian, the newly appointed 34th spokesperson of China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, meets the press. Photo: Courtesy of China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs

The US once again sold arms to the island of Taiwan in disregard of China’s repeated opposition and serious protests, which severely undermines China’s sovereignty and security interests, seriously harms China-US relations and peace and stability across the Taiwan Straits, sending a gravely wrong signal to the Taiwan independence separatist forces, the Chinese Foreign Ministry said on Thursday in response to a military sale approved by the US State Department to the island of Taiwan. 

The Biden administration on Tuesday approved a new $360 million weapons sale to the island of Taiwan, sending the island hundreds of armed drones, missile equipment and related support material, the State Department said in a statement. 

The arms sales include Switchblade 300 Anti-Personnel and Anti-Armor Loitering Missile System and related equipment as well as ALTIUS 600M-V Unmanned Aerial Vehicles and related equipment. 

During a regular press briefing, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian said that China strongly condemns and firmly opposes the US who once again sold weapons to the island of Taiwan despite China’s consistent opposition and solemn representations, which seriously violated the one-China principle and the three China-US joint communiques, particularly the August 17 Communique of 1982. The spokesperson added that this move severely infringes on China’s sovereignty and security interests, seriously damages China-US relations and peace and stability across the Taiwan Straits, and sends a gravely wrong signal to the Taiwan independence separatist forces. 

The US has repeatedly sold weapons to the island of Taiwan, encouraging and supporting the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) authorities in their stubborn adherence to the “Taiwan independence” stance and their provocations against the one-China principle, Lin said, noting that this once again shows that the separatist moves for “Taiwan independence” and connivance and support for such moves from US-led external forces are the biggest threat facing cross-Straits peace and stability and source of damage to the real status quo in the Taiwan Straits. 

The DPP authorities’ attempt to seek “Taiwan independence” through military build-up, and US' determination to support “Taiwan independence” with weapons, will inevitably backfire, leading to self-destruction and ending in failure, Lin said. 

The Taiwan question is at the core of China’s core interests and the first red line that must not be crossed in China-US relations and no one should underestimate China’s firm determination and strong capability to oppose Taiwan independence and defend national sovereignty and territorial integrity, Lin added. 

China urges the US to earnestly adhere to the one-China principle and the three China-US joint communiques, revoke its wrong decision of arms sales to the island, cease the dangerous trend of arming Taiwan, stop supporting and encouraging the wrongful actions of Taiwan independence secessionist forces, and stop endangering cross-Straits peace and stability, Lin said.

Global Times