China Urges the United States to Revoke Arms Sale to Taiwan

On Thursday,  Tan Kefei, a spokesperson for China's Defense Ministry, urged Washington 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.

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These remarks were a response to a plan approved by the U.S. State Department for arms sale to Taiwan worth US$95 million. This operation "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.

The arms sale also undermines China's security interests, harms the relations between the two countries and their militaries, and sabotages peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait.

"Taiwan is an inalienable part of Chinese territory," Tan said, noting that the Taiwan issue brooks no foreign interference.

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", he said.

Earlier on Thursday, Ma Xiaoguang, a spokesperson for the State Council Taiwan Affairs Office, made remarks in response to media reports on U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's planned visit to the island.

Any separatist activities and wrong words and deeds from the U.S. side that threaten China's core interests will never be tolerated, Ma said, warning Taiwan's Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) to immediately stop any attempt to seek independence by banking on external forces.