Foreign and Military Affairs

FM: US arms sales harm cooperation

(Agencies/chinadaily.com.cn/Xinhua)
Updated: 2010-01-30 08:41

BEIJING: China has lodged solemn representations with the United States over its announcement of arms sales to Taiwan, warning the move would seriously damage cooperation between the two countries.

Chinese Vice Foreign Minister He Yafei said?Saturday that the Chinese?government was "strongly indignant" about the proposed arms sales and has lodged a solemn representation to Jon Huntsman, the US ambassador to China.

The Obama administration notified the US Congress on Friday of its first proposed arms sales to Taiwan, a potential $6.4 billion package including Black Hawk helicopters, Patriot "Advanced Capability-3" anti-missile missiles, and command-and-control technology.

The Chinese foreign ministry?responded with a warning that the arms sale could jeopardise important bonds of cooperation with the US in a number of areas.

Vice Minister He said the arms sales were "crude interference in China's domestic affairs and seriously harm China's national security," in remarks published on the Foreign Ministry website.

"China expresses its strong indignation."

Such a move is also gravely against the three joint communiques between China and the United States, especially the "August 17" communique, in which the United States promised not to seek to carry out a long-term policy of arms sales to Taiwan, and intended to gradually reduce arms sales to the island.

"The United States' announcement of the planned weapons sales to Taiwan will have a seriously negative impact on many important areas of exchanges and cooperation between the two countries," he said. A copy of his remarks was delivered to the US ambassador to China.

He urged the United States to halt the planned sales, saying that otherwise "This will lead to repercussions that neither side wishes to see."

In 2008, China curtailed military exchanges with the United States after the Bush administration approved a $6.5-billion Taiwan arms deal, including 30 Apache attack helicopters and 330 Patriot missiles.