BEIJING, June 7 -- When answering a media query on Friday, Senior Colonel Zhang Xiaogang, a spokesperson for China's Ministry of National Defense, expressed strong dissatisfaction and firm opposition to the newly approved arms sales by the Defense Security Cooperation Agency of US Department of Defense, totaling approximately $300 million, involving spare parts and maintenance components for F-16 fighter jets.
"The US's arms sales to China's Taiwan region are a gross violation of the one-China principle and the three China-US joint communiqués, especially the August 17Communiqué," said the spokesperson, noting that it seriously harms China's national sovereignty and security interests and undermines peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait.
The spokesperson stressed that the Taiwan question is the first redline that must not be crossed in China-US relations. The US's back-up for "Taiwan independence" separatist forces and hyping up of cross-Strait tension will push Taiwan into a dangerous position and eventually shoot itself in the foot.
The spokesperson lodged stern representations to the US side, and urged the US to abide by the one-China principle and the three China-US joint communiqués, abolish the arms sales to Taiwan immediately, stop arming the Taiwan region in any form and take concrete actions to maintain the overall situation of mil-to-mil relations with China. He also warned that the Chinese People's Liberation Army will continue to train hard and stay war-prepared to resolutely safeguard national sovereignty and territorial integrity.
