BEIJING, Dec. 23 -- "We firmly oppose and strongly condemn the US's military assistance and arms sales to China's Taiwan region and have made solemn representations to the US side," said Senior Colonel Wu Qian, a spokesperson for China's Ministry of National Defense on Monday.
The defense spokesperson made the remarks in response to a media query about the US government's recent approval of military assistance worth about 571.3 million US dollars to Taiwan, and the US State Department's approval of arms sales worth 295 million US dollars to Taiwan on the same day.
The spokesperson pointed out that the US's military assistance and arms sales have seriously violated the one-China principle and the stipulations of the three China-US joint communiqués, especially the August 17 Communiqué.
He stressed that such behaviors have grossly interfered in China's internal affairs, sent wrong signal to "Taiwan independence" separatist forces and seriously undermined the peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait.
"The Taiwan question is the first red line that must not be crossed in China-US relations. The one-China principle and the three China-US joint communiqués are the political foundation of China-US relations," said the spokesperson, adding that it is extremely irresponsible, extremely dangerous and extremely bad for the US to break its solemn political commitment not to support "Taiwan independence", to attempt to create a tense situation across the Taiwan Strait, and to push Taiwan towards military danger.
China urges the US to immediately stop military assistance and arms sales to Taiwan, stop military contacts with China's Taiwan region, and stop pouring fuel on the fire across the Taiwan Strait. "We will take resolute and forceful measures to defeat separatist attempts for Taiwan independence, counter the US and other external interference, and firmly safeguard the reunification of the motherland and peace across the Taiwan Strait," stressed the spokesperson.
