China has warned the United States will take “retaliatory measures” after the Biden administration approved more than $1.1 billion worth of arms sales to Taiwan.
Chinese Embassy spokesman Liu Pengyu said on Saturday that China “resolutely opposes” the purchase, which “seriously jeopardizes China-US relations and peace and stability across the strait”. Taiwan Sea”, and urged Washington to “immediately withdraw”.
Liu’s comments on Twitter come after the Biden administration on Friday formally notified Congress of the proposed sales, which include up to 60 anti-ship missiles and up to 100 air-to-surface missiles.
The State Department said the purchase was in line with the longstanding US policy of providing defensive weapons to the island and described the “rapid delivery” of such weapons as “necessary for our national security”. Taiwan’s security.”
However, China has accused the US of meddling in what it considers its internal affairs.
The Chinese Communist Party claims Taiwan, a self-governing democracy, as part of its territory – though has never administered it – and has long vowed to “unify” the island with the mainland. China, by force if necessary.
“The US interferes in China’s internal affairs and undermines China’s sovereignty and security interests by selling weapons to Taiwan,” Liu wrote on Twitter.
“It sends the wrong signals to ‘Taiwan independence’ separatist forces and seriously jeopardizes Sino-US relations and peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait,” Liu said. .
He called on the US to “respect its commitments to the one-China principle” and ended his series of tweets by saying Taiwan is “an inviolable part of China’s territory”, while warning China. will “resolutely take just and necessary countermeasures.”
US-China tensions have spiked since House Speaker Nancy Pelosi visited Taiwan last month.
China warned Pelosi against making the trip and responded by ordering multi-day military exercises around the island after she left.
On Saturday, Taiwan said it “very welcomes” the latest arms sale and thanked the US government for “continued to fulfill its security commitments to Taiwan.”
“In the face of China’s recent continuous military provocations and unilateral changes to the status quo and creating a crisis, Taiwan’s determination to defend itself is extremely firm,” said Taiwan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs. said in a statement on Saturday.
“This arms sale includes a large number of different types of missiles needed to strengthen Taiwan’s self-defense capabilities, which fully demonstrates that the US government attaches great importance to Taiwan’s defense needs. Loan, support our country in obtaining the necessary equipment for defense in a timely manner and improve the ability to defend the Fatherland.”
In an incident that underscores rising tensions, Taiwan’s military shot down a drone hovering over one of its island outposts just off the Chinese coast on Thursday.
A day earlier, Taiwan said it had warned about drones hovering over three islands it occupies off the Chinese port city of Xiamen.
