Beijing says the latest arms package violates China’s sovereignty and threatens peace in the region.
China has recently criticized the United States for selling arms to Taiwan and has vowed to take all necessary steps to assert its sovereignty over the self-governing island, which it claims as its own.
The U.S. State Department on Friday approved a $2 billion arms sales package to Taiwan, including advanced surface-to-air missile systems and radar, as part of efforts to counter China’s growing military power in the Asia-Pacific region.
US President Joe Biden’s administration has made countering China’s growing military and economic ‘assertion’ in the region a key pillar of its foreign policy. It has also sought to strengthen its military alliances in the region while maintaining trade restrictions against China.
The deal awaits congressional approval. Equipment is derived from U.S. Air Force supplies.
Taiwan’s Ministry of National Defense said on Saturday it was “sincerely grateful” for the sale and that it would “help the military continue to improve defense resilience and jointly maintain peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait.”
China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs countered in a statement late Saturday, saying the arms package “seriously violates China’s sovereignty and security interests, seriously damages China-US relations, and threatens the peace and stability of the Strait.”
A spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said, “China strongly condemns this, resolutely opposes it, and has entered into solemn negotiations with the United States.”
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs added, “China will take all necessary measures to firmly safeguard national sovereignty, security and territorial integrity.”
China, which defined Taiwan’s sovereignty as a ‘red line’ that should not be crossed, did not rule out using force to control Taiwan.
Beijing deploys fighter jets, drones and warships almost daily around the Democratic island and has held large-scale war games nearby this month.
Earlier this month, Taiwan set a record by detecting 153 Chinese aircraft in one day.
The United States is Taipei’s key partner and arms provider, despite having no formal diplomatic relations with the country.
China has regularly expressed anger at international support for Taipei and accused the United States of interfering in its affairs. China says the United States is moving away from its “one China” policy of not openly supporting Taiwan’s independence.
Last September, China sanctioned U.S. defense companies in retaliation for the U.S. approving the sale of military equipment to Taiwan.
