Taiwan, China: ‘No arms sales, US must exercise maximum protection’

Rome, 15 Nov. (LaPresse) – China strongly opposes the sale of US arms to the Chinese region of Taiwan. According to local media reports, this is China’s clear and consistent position, said Chen Binhua, spokesperson for the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council, urging the US to exercise maximum caution in handling the Taiwan issue. After the US Department of Defence announced a sale of arms to Taiwan worth approximately $330 million, the island’s authorities immediately expressed their gratitude. Chen said that the US action seriously undermines China’s sovereignty and security interests and sends a deeply wrong signal to separatists for ‘Taiwan independence’. Relying on external forces to achieve “independence” will only lead to a dead end, he added. “We will take all necessary measures to firmly safeguard national sovereignty, security and territorial integrity,” Chen stressed.