BEIJING, Feb. 23 -- A Chinese defense spokesperson on Friday strongly opposed the US recent arms sales plan to Taiwan, calling Washington's move an extremely dangerous "gamble".
Senior Colonel Zhang Xiaogang, spokesperson for China's Ministry of National Defense, made the above remarks on Friday when being asked to comment on the recent US arms sales plan to Taiwan. According to reports, the Pentagon recently issued a statement saying that the US Department of State had approved the sale of advanced tactical data link system upgrade plan worth about US$75 million to Taiwan.
"We are firmly opposed to the US selling military gear to China's Taiwan region, and this stance is firm and clear," the spokesperson stressed, adding that for some time, the US has been wantonly manipulating Taiwan-related issues, in an attempt to instigate the "Taiwan independence" through arms sales and military aid to Taiwan.
"Those moves have seriously undermined China's national sovereignty and security interests, seriously damaged the mil-to-mil relations between the two countries, grossly interfered in China's internal affairs, and escalated tensions across the Taiwan Strait," the spokesperson slammed.
The spokesperson pointed out that the Taiwan question is the first red line in China-US relations that cannot be crossed, and the US arming Taiwan is an extremely dangerous "gambling" behavior. "We urge the United States to abide by the one-China principle and the three China-US joint communiqués, especially the one issued on Aug 17, 1982 ," he said.
The spokesperson urged the US to stop arms sales to Taiwan as well as all military ties with the latter, stop arming Taiwan in any way, stop provocative acts of "using Taiwan to contain China", and take practical actions to maintain the overall situation of the relationship between the two countries and two militaries, as well as the regional peace and stability.
"China will take resolute and effective measures to safeguard national sovereignty and territorial integrity," he stressed.