Mainland issues stern warning against Taiwan arms sales

The United States has endangered peace and stability across the Taiwan Straits by approving a potential sale of $619 million in new weapons to Taiwan, a Chinese mainland spokesman said on Thursday.

Ma Xiaoguang, a spokesman for China's Taiwan Affairs Office, said, "We firmly oppose the sale of arms by the US to Taiwan."

The sale is an act of support for "Taiwan independence" forces, he said.

Ma urged the US to abide by the one-China principle and the provisions of the three Sino-US joint communiques, to stop the arms sale and any military ties with the island.

"The US should stop playing with fire on the Taiwan question, and deal with it cautiously," he said.

Ma warned the ruling Democratic Progressive Party on Taiwan any attempt to rely on foreign forces for "independence" and use of military force to resist unification with the mainland is doomed to fail.