China on Wednesday said it “firmly opposes” any form of military ties between the United States and Taiwan, reiterating that the Taiwan issue is an internal matter for Beijing.
“The Taiwan question is purely China’s internal affair and brooks no external interference,” Zhang Han, a spokesperson for the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council, said, according to state-run Global Times.
“We firmly oppose any form of military ties between the US and China’s Taiwan region, and urge the US side to abide by the one-China principle and the three China-US joint communiqués, prudently handle Taiwan-related issues, stop arms sales to Taiwan, and refrain from sending wrong signals to ‘Taiwan independence’ separatist forces,” Zhang said.
The comments came after reports that US officials were dissatisfied with Taiwan’s defense procurement budget amid continued tensions over military cooperation between Washington and Taipei.
On Tuesday, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun also reiterated Beijing’s opposition to US arms sales to Taiwan.
“China’s firm opposition to US arms sales to China’s Taiwan region is consistent and clear,” Guo said.
US President Donald Trump said Monday that he plans to discuss US arms sales to Taiwan with Chinese President Xi Jinping during his expected visit to Beijing.
According to The New York Times, a bipartisan group of US senators has urged Trump to move forward with a delayed $14 billion weapons package for Taiwan that has been stalled at the State Department for months.
