Beijing reiterates strong opposition to US arms sales to Taiwan

Beijing reiterated on Friday its strong opposition to a massive arms sales package to China's Taiwan region announced by Washington, warning it risks disrupting peace in the Taiwan Strait and leading to conflicts between China and the United States.

The arms sales, valued at more than $10 billion and announced on Wednesday, would be the largest-ever US weapons package to the island if approved by US Congress, according to reports.

The Chinese side strongly deplores the arms sales, and has lodged protests with the US side immediately, Foreign Ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun said.

"The sales is gross interference in China's internal affairs," Guo said, dismissing news reports that say it will "help Taiwan maintain sufficient self-defense capabilities" and is "commensurate with the threat".

"It undermines China's sovereignty, security and territorial integrity, disrupts peace in the Strait, and sends a seriously erroneous message to 'Taiwan independence' separatists and others," Guo said at a regular news briefing.

China has made it clear that the Taiwan question is at the core of its core interests.

"China doesn't allow harming of its core interests, interference in the Taiwan question or challenging of China's bottom line," Guo said.

"Taiwan independence" is incompatible with peace in the Strait, and the true threat to peace is the separatist activities of the Lai Ching-te authorities and intervention by external forces, the spokesman said.

"Any moves to arm Taiwan will lead to serious consequences," he said. "The so-called assistance to tackle 'threat' will only ... push Taiwan toward danger and heighten the risk of conflict and confrontation between China and the US."

No individual or force should underestimate the will and the capability of the Chinese government and the Chinese people to safeguard the national sovereignty and territorial integrity, Guo warned.

"No matter how many advanced weapons are sold to Taiwan, they will not stop the historical trend of China's reunification," he said, urging the US side to follow the one-China principle and the three China-US joint communiques, and deliver on the promise the US leadership has made.