Mao Ning, a spokesperson for China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, takes a question during a regular press conference on Sept 5, 2022 in Beijing, China. (PHOTO / FOREIGN MINISTRY, CHINA)
BEIJING – China on Monday firmly opposed and strongly condemned the US government's approval of a new round of arms sales to China's Taiwan region.
China will take resolute and strong measures to firmly defend its own sovereignty and security interests, foreign ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said at a regular press briefing.
The same day, the State Council Taiwan Affairs Office also opposed US decision on arms sales to Taiwan.
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The US arms sales to China's Taiwan region are a blatant violation of the one-China principle and the provisions of the three China-US joint communiques, especially the August 17 Communique, said the foreign ministry spokesperson.
The arms sales gravely undermine China's sovereignty and security interests, severely harm China-US relations and peace and stability in the Taiwan Straits
Mao Ning, Spokesperson, Foreign Ministry, China
The arms sales gravely undermine China's sovereignty and security interests, severely harm China-US relations and peace and stability in the Taiwan Straits, and send a gravely wrong signal to "Taiwan independence" separatist forces, she said.
"China firmly opposes and strongly condemns them. We will take resolute and strong measures to firmly defend our own sovereignty and security interests.”
Mao said that for some time, the US has repeatedly trampled on international law and basic norms in international relations and breached the US leader's political commitment of not supporting "Taiwan independence."
The US side keeps distorting, fudging and hollowing out the one-China principle, deliberately makes provocations on the Taiwan question, and supports and connives at "Taiwan independence" separatist forces. The US has an unshirkable responsibility for causing tensions to rise in the Taiwan Straits, said Mao.
China urges the US to abide by the one-China principle and the provisions of the three China-US joint communiques, stop arms sales to Taiwan and military contact with Taiwan, stop creating new factors that could lead to tensions in the Taiwan Straits, stop seeking political manipulation with Taiwan-related issues, stop using Taiwan to contain China, and avoid going further down the wrong and dangerous path, she said.
"I want to once again make it clear to the US side that Taiwan is China's Taiwan. The Taiwan question brooks no external interference. No individual or force can halt the historic process of China's complete reunification.”
Zhu Fenglian, a spokesperson for the State Council's Taiwan Affairs Office, attends a press conference in Beijing, China on Nov 10, 2021. (PHOTO / XINHUA)
Responding to a related media query, Zhu Fenglian, a spokesperson for the State Council Taiwan Affairs Office, said the US arms sales to Taiwan seriously violates the one-China principle and the three China-US joint communiques, particularly the Aug 17 Communique.
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It emboldens and supports "Taiwan independence" secessionists, and undermines peace and stability in the Taiwan Straits, she said.
Taiwan's Democratic Progressive Party authority's attempt to use force to resist reunification and their collusion with external forces to seek "Taiwan independence" are doomed to fail, and will be heavily punished, said Zhu.