China’s Foreign Ministry said the country will take “countermeasures” to defend its sovereignty and territorial integrity after the United States approved a $2 billion package of arms sales to Taiwan.
China urges the US to immediately stop arming Taiwan and halt dangerous actions that undermine peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait. On Friday, the Pentagon’s Security and Defence Cooperation Agency reported that the new sale includes $1.16 billion worth of missile systems and radar systems, valued at $828 million.
The Chinese Foreign Ministry said on Saturday it strongly condemns and opposes the sale, and made “solemn representations” to the US. It added that “China will take resolute countermeasures and take all measures necessary to firmly defend national sovereignty, security and territorial integrity.”
The government of the island, for its part, welcomed the new arms sale, which was the Biden administration’s 17th on the island. Washington is bound by law to provide Taiwan with the means for self-defence, despite the lack of formal diplomatic relations. Foreign ministry said that “In the face of China’s threats, Taiwan is duty-bound to protect its homeland, and will continue to demonstrate its determination to defend itself.”
Over the past five years, China has stepped up its military activity around the island, whose government rejects Beijing’s sovereignty claims, including organising a new round of military exercises earlier this month. In the latest development, the PRC’s Taiwan Affairs Office said on Saturday: “There can be no future for “Taiwan independence.” The future of Taiwan lies in the complete reunification of the motherland.”
