China Warns US Over Taiwan Arms Sales

(MENAFN) Beijing has issued a sharp rebuke against any form of military cooperation between Washington and Taipei, reaffirming its position that the Taiwan question is strictly an internal Chinese matter — just days before US President Donald Trump is set to meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing.

"The Taiwan question is purely China's internal affair and brooks no external interference," Zhang Han, a spokesperson for the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council, said, according to state-run media.

"We firmly oppose any form of military ties between the US and China's Taiwan region, and urge the US side to abide by the one-China principle and the three China-US joint communiqués, prudently handle Taiwan-related issues, stop arms sales to Taiwan, and refrain from sending wrong signals to 'Taiwan independence' separatist forces," Zhang said.

The strongly-worded statement followed reports that US officials have expressed frustration over Taiwan's defense procurement spending levels, even as military cooperation between Washington and Taipei remains a flashpoint in US-China relations.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun struck a similarly firm tone on Tuesday, reinforcing Beijing's unwavering stance on the matter.

"China's firm opposition to US arms sales to China's Taiwan region is consistent and clear," Guo said.

Trump signaled on Monday his intention to raise the arms sales issue directly with Xi during his anticipated Beijing visit. The remarks drew further attention to a report by The New York Times revealing that a bipartisan coalition of US senators has been pressuring Trump to greenlight a long-delayed $14 billion weapons package for Taiwan — a deal that has sat stalled at the State Department for several months.

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