China has vehemently rejected and criticised the United States’ recent arms sales to Taiwan, urging the US to immediately cease military contact with the island and promising to take serious measures to protect its interests.
“The United States has ignored China’s core concerns, violently interfered in China’s internal affairs and deliberately pushed up tensions in the Taiwan Strait,” China’s defence ministry spokesperson Tan Kefei said in a statement.
According to the Pentagon, the US State Department has cleared the potential sale of ammunition and logistics assistance to Taiwan in two separate deals worth up to $440 million.
Taiwan had requested $332.2 million in 30mm ammunition, including high-explosive incendiary-tracer rounds, multi-purpose rounds, and training rounds, according to the Pentagon.
Taiwan’s defense ministry said the sales will strengthen the island’s resilience in the face of China’s “expanding threats of military and grey zone tactics,” which it described as posing “severe threats” to Taiwan.
According to Taiwan’s defense ministry, China is still using “grey zone” techniques to test its responses, such as sending drones, balloons, and fishing boats to locations near Taiwan.
Mao Ning, a Foreign Ministry spokeswoman, also strongly condemned the arms sales and warned that China will take “resolute and strong measures” to defend its own sovereignty and security interests at a regular briefing on Monday.
For some time, the US side has been distorting, fudging, and hollowing out the one-China principle, making deliberate provocations on the Taiwan question, and supporting and conspiring with “Taiwan independence” forces, according to the spokeswoman, emphasizing that the US bears sole responsibility for the escalation of tensions across the Straits.
