China urges U.S. to stop arms sales to Taiwan

BEIJING, July 19 (Xinhua) -- China on Tuesday urged the United States to immediately stop arms sales to Taiwan and faithfully implement its statement of not supporting "Taiwan independence."

U.S. State Department spokesman Ned Price has reportedly said that according to the "Taiwan Relations Act," the U.S. is obliged to provide necessary national defense articles and services to Taiwan to help the island maintain a sufficient self-defense capability, adding this complies with the one-China policy.

In response, Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Zhao Lijian reiterated China's firm opposition to the new round of arms sales plan to Taiwan by the United States. "We have lodged stern representations with the U.S. side."

Noting the so-called "Taiwan Relations Act" is a domestic law unilaterally concocted by the United States, Zhao said it severely violates universally acknowledged international laws and basic norms of international relations. He added it runs counter to the one-China principle and provisions in the three China-U.S. joint communiques. "China has never acknowledged and has always opposed such an act."

The United States is in no position at all to swagger with such an act to interfere in China's internal affairs and sell weapons to Taiwan, Zhao added.

The U.S. insistence on arms sales to Taiwan has seriously violated the one-China principle and the provisions in the three China-U.S. joint communiques, emboldened the "Taiwan independence" secessionist forces and intensified tensions across the Taiwan Strait, said Zhao.

"The United States should immediately stop arms sales to and its military contact with Taiwan, cease creating factors leading to tensions in the Taiwan Strait, and faithfully implement the statement of not supporting the 'Taiwan independence' made by its government," Zhao added.