China flays US arms sale plan

China has urged the United States to scrap a planned multi-billion-dollar arms sale to Taiwan - a move that defense experts said would once again likely scuttle ongoing military exchanges with the US.

The Foreign Ministry yesterday also demanded that Washington avoid arranging a meeting between US President Barack Obama and the Dalai Lama.

The Washington Post said the meeting, and the arms sale, may take place early in the year, dealing a heavy blow to relations between the two world powers.