BEIJING, Sept. 20 -- "The US's weapons, instead of being the protective talisman for DPP authorities, are the 'nooses' that prelude their self-destruction," said Chinese Defense Spokesperson Senior Colonel Zhang Xiaogang on Friday.
He made those remarks when asked to comment on the US arms sales to China's Taiwan region. It is reported that the US Department of State approved a military sale of spare parts and technical support valued at about USD 228 million to Taiwan on September 16, local time.
Spokesperson Zhang pointed out that the US arms sales to China’s Taiwan region is a gross violation of the one-China principle and the three China-US joint communiqués, especially the August 17 Communiqué of 1982.
"It seriously harms China’s sovereignty and security interests and jeopardizes peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait. The Chinese side is strongly dissatisfied with and firmly opposed to this move, and has lodged stern representations with the US side," said the spokesperson.
Zhang continued that the “Taiwan independence” poses the greatest threat to cross-Strait peace and stability, and the US's actions of supporting independence by selling weapons to Taiwan have sent seriously wrong signals to “Taiwan independence” separatist forces. The US is pushing the island increasingly towards an extremely dangerous situation of war. The US's wrongdoings gravely harm the safety and well-being of Taiwan compatriots and escalate tensions across the Taiwan Strait.
"It must be stressed that Taiwan’s security depends on the peaceful development of cross-Strait relations. The US's weapons, instead of being the protective talisman for DPP authorities, are the 'nooses' that prelude their self-destruction," noted the spokesperson.
The spokesperson reaffirmed that the Taiwan question is the first red line that must not be crossed in China-US relations. China urges the US side to honor its commitment to not supporting "Taiwan independence", stop its military collusion with the Taiwan region and the move to arm it in any way, and take solid actions to maintain the stable, sound and sustainable development of bilateral and mil-to-mil relations with China.
"The Chinese PLA will continue to enhance combat readiness and military training , and take resolute and powerful measures to foil any separatist schemes seeking 'Taiwan independence' and any external interference," stressed the spokesperson in the end.