Foreign Ministry strongly rebukes US arms sale to Taiwan

China strongly condemns the United States' latest arms sale to Taiwan, Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian said on Thursday.

The US State Department has approved a possible sale of ship parts and equipment worth about $120 million to the island, according to a statement issued by the Defense Security Cooperation Agency on Wednesday.

The US has violated the one-China principle and the three China-US joint communiques, especially the one issued on August 17, 1982 by selling weapons to Taiwan, Zhao said.

The move has also undermined China's sovereignty and security interests, as well as China-US ties and peace across the Taiwan Straits, Zhao said.

The US should observe the one-China principle and the three China-US joint communiques, revoke the arms sale, stop selling weapons to Taiwan and cut its military ties with Taiwan, Zhao said, adding China will continue to take forceful measures to safeguard its own sovereignty and security interest.