Chinese defense ministry slams US arms sales to Taiwan region

BEIJING - A Chinese military spokesperson on Tuesday condemned Taiwan's Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) authorities for courting the United States to buy weapons, saying they are only wasting the hard-earned money of people in the region.

Wu Qian, a spokesperson for the Ministry of National Defense, made the remarks when commenting on media reports about an accusation against US arms sales to Taiwan of involving fraud.

Describing the reports as a tip of the iceberg, Wu said the US arms sales to Taiwan over the years had a "sky-high price" but "obsolete functions."

"It is evident that the DPP authorities bought pieces of junk that only benefit corrupted officials and arms dealers," said the spokesperson.

Wu also warned the DPP authorities that seeking "Taiwan independence" will lead nowhere, and external forces are never reliable. "Those who try to rely on the US support for independence will only court their own destruction," he said.