Las Vegas Sun
Feb. 27, 2010
The Associated Press
China warned the U.S. on Thursday against any future arms sales to Taiwan and reaffirmed its decision to suspend military exchanges over Washington’s plan to sell $6.4 billion in military hardware to the island.
China demands that the U.S. “speak and act cautiously” to avoid further damaging ties and upsetting relations between Beijing and Taiwan, Defense Ministry spokesman Huang Xueping was quoted as saying by the official Xinhua News Agency.
Huang also said there had been no change in Beijing’s decision last month to put off military contacts to protest the Obama administration’s decision to sell helicopters, missiles and other weapons to Taiwan.
“The U.S. side bears full responsibility for the current difficulties in exchanges between the Chinese and U.S. militaries,” Huang said.
Huang’s comments follow the publication this week of a U.S. Defense Intelligence Agency report stating that Taiwan’s air defenses against China were likely inadequate.
Many observers saw the study as justification for the possible sale of advanced fighter jets to the self-governing island democracy. China considers Taiwan part of its territory and has vowed to conquer it by force if necessary.
Such U.S. reports are an outgrowth of a law _ passed 30 years ago when Washington cut ties with the island to establish relations with Beijing _ requiring the United States to ensure Taiwan has an adequate defense against Chinese threats.
China resents all U.S. arms sales to Taiwan, seeing them as interference in its internal affairs. In response to the latest sale, Beijing, for the first time, also threatened commercial retaliation against the aerospace companies that make the weapons offered in the latest deal.
Speaking at a regular news conference Thursday, Foreign Ministry spokesman Qin Gang repeated China’s claims that the Taiwan arms sales undermine Chinese security and demanded the U.S. take action to repair ties.
“The people who tied the knot should untie the knot,” Qin said. more …
