China warns US arms sales to Taiwan 'undermine peace, stability,’ vows ‘resolute measures’

ISTANBUL

China on Thursday warned that massive arms sales to Taiwan from the US President Donald Trump's administration "undermine peace and stability,” and vowed to take “resolute and forceful measures to safeguard its national sovereignty.”

This came after the Trump administration announced on Wednesday eight new arms packages for Taiwan totaling well over $11 billion.

The sales package "seriously violates the one-China principle and the three China-US joint communiqués, gravely infringes upon China's sovereignty, security and territorial integrity, severely undermines peace and stability across the Taiwan Straits, and sends a seriously wrong signal to 'Taiwan independence' separatist forces," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun said at a news conference, according to the state-run Global Times.

Beijing "firmly opposes and strongly condemns this," and "will take resolute and forceful measures to safeguard its national sovereignty, security, and territorial integrity," Guo added.

Buying weapons "will not save the doomed fate of 'Taiwan independence'; it will only accelerate pushing the Taiwan Straits toward heightened military danger and the risk of war," he added.

"No one should underestimate the firm resolve and strong capability of the Chinese government and the Chinese people to safeguard national sovereignty and territorial integrity," Guo said, urging Washington to "immediately stop the dangerous act of arming Taiwan."