BEIJING, Dec. 18 (Xinhua) -- China will take countermeasures against relevant companies involved in arms sales to Taiwan, a Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson said on Monday.
Spokesperson Wang Wenbin made the remarks in response to a media query saying that the U.S. State Department has approved a 300-million-U.S.-dollar sale of life cycle support and equipment to Taiwan.
Wang said by announcing another arms sale to China's Taiwan region, the United States has blatantly violated the one-China principle and the stipulations of the three China-U.S. joint communiques, especially the August 17 Communique. This move seriously undermines China's sovereignty and security interests, harms peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait and sends a wrong message to separatist forces seeking "Taiwan independence".
"China deplores and strongly opposes this and has made solemn demarches to the U.S. side," Wang said.
Nothing the Taiwan question is entirely China's internal affair that brooks no foreign interference, Wang said no matter how many weapons the United States provides to the Taiwan region, it will neither change the historic course of China's reunification, nor weaken the Chinese people's firm will in safeguarding its national sovereignty and territorial integrity.
"We urge the United States to seriously honor its commitment to one-China and not supporting 'Taiwan independence', stop arming Taiwan and causing a dangerous trend, stop creating factors that could heighten tensions in the Taiwan Strait, and stop conniving at and supporting the separatists' attempt to seek 'Taiwan independence' by force," Wang said.
"China will and must be reunited. China will take resolute and strong measures to safeguard its sovereignty and territorial integrity and take countermeasures against relevant companies involved in arms sales to Taiwan," the spokesperson added. ■
