China has vowed to take “all necessary measures” to assert sovereignty over Taiwan following recent US arms sales to the autonomous island, which China claims as its own.
The US State Department on Friday approved plans for a $2 billion (1.85 billion euro) arms sale to Taiwan, including surface-to-air missile systems and radars.
China announces countermeasures over Taiwan arms trade
China’s Foreign Ministry said in a statement late Saturday that the arms package “severely violates China’s sovereignty and security interests in the strait, seriously damages China-US relations, and endangers peace and stability.” "There is,” he said.
A ministry spokesperson said, “China strongly condemns and firmly opposes this, and has made a solemn request to the United States.” The ministry called on the United States to immediately stop supplying arms to Taiwan.
It added that the Chinese government will “take resolute countermeasures and take all necessary measures to resolutely protect national sovereignty, security and territorial integrity.”
China has so far refused to rule out using force to bring Taiwan under its control.
Taiwan welcomes $2 billion arms deal
The deal still needs parliamentary approval, but Taipei’s Ministry of Defense said on Saturday that “the military will continue to strengthen its defense capabilities and help jointly maintain peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait.”
Although the United States does not maintain formal diplomatic relations with Taiwan, it is required by law to provide Taiwan with means to protect itself from Chinese attack. Under the Biden administration alone, there were 17 arms sales to Taiwan.
“In the face of the threat from China, Taiwan has an obligation to protect the motherland and will continue to demonstrate its determination to defend itself,” Taiwan’s Ministry of Defense said.
In early October, Taiwan announced that it had detected 153 Chinese military aircraft and 14 naval vessels around the island as China conducted large-scale military exercises (the Ministry of Defense said this was a single-day record). ). The Chinese government said the exercise should serve as a warning against “separatist acts.”
China holds new military exercises near Taiwan
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mk/ab (AFP, Reuters)
