China warns US over Taiwan weapons deals

China strongly urges the United States to cease arms sales to Taiwan, stop military contact with the island and handle Taiwan-related questions cautiously, a spokesman of the Ministry of National Defense said on Tuesday.

Senior Colonel Ren Guoqiang made the remarks when asked to comment on the US State Department's latest approval of selling the Harpoon missile system and related equipment to Taiwan in a deal worth $2.37 billion. The move came days after the administration approved the sale of three other weapons systems with a potential value of $1.8 billion to the island.

Ren said the US once again approved the arms sales, which seriously violated the one China principle and the three China-US Joint Communiqués. It blatantly interfered in China's internal affairs, undermined China's sovereignty and security interests, and severely damaged the two countries' military relations, as well as peace and stability across the Taiwan Straits.

The Taiwan question concerns China's sovereignty, territorial integrity and core interests. China will never allow any external interference, he said, adding that some people in the US and Taiwan attempting to use Taiwan to contain the Chinese mainland and resist reunification is "totally unworkable and destined to be a dead end".

China firmly urges the US to immediately cancel any planned arms sales to Taiwan and to cut military ties with the island in order to avoid causing serious consequences to the relations between the Chinese and US militaries and peace and stability across the Straits, he said.

"The People's Liberation Army has firm will, full confidence and sufficient capabilities to thwart any form of external interference and separatist attempts to 'Taiwan independence', and will take all necessary measures to resolutely defend national sovereignty and territorial integrity and will continue to advance the national reunification," he added.