Ministry: $500m US military deal with Taiwan has 'poisoned' relations

Beijing resolutely opposes the recent $500 million military deal between the United States and Taiwan, calling the move "a complete mistake" and "very dangerous", a spokesman for the Ministry of National Defense said on Wednesday.

The new deal, approved by the US State Department on April 15 and currently being reviewed by Congress, consists of training programs in the US for F-16 fighter jet pilots and maintenance crews. The State Department said the sale is meant to improve the defensive capabilities of Taiwan.

Senior Colonel Wu Qian, a spokesman for the ministry, said in an online statement that China resolutely opposes any country selling arms to or having military interactions with Taiwan.