Chinese Foreign Ministry Denounced Washington's Decision To Supply Weapons To Taiwan

The Foreign Ministry of China denounced the Washington decision to sell certain types of armaments to Taiwan. Beijing is deeply worried by reports on the possible sale of US-made weapons to Taiwan and denounced the delivery of any modern US-made weapons there, just as to any other country, said today Zhang Qiyoue, the spokesperson of the ministry. If the deal is completed, she said, this will create new problems in Chinese-American relations. The US decision runs counter to three Chinese-American communiques, especially those of their provisions where the USA pledged to reduce and to subsequently terminate arms deliveries to Taiwan. "If the USA ignores China's serious protests, this will amount to a major violation of China's sovereignty and gross interference in the internal affairs of China and will build up tensions in the Taiwan Strait," stressed Zhang Qiyoue. The Chinese Foreign Ministry noted in the past that the decision to sell weapons to Taiwan would have "a devastating effect" on relations between China and the USA. Although it was reported that the US administration decided not to sell modern destroyers armed with the modern Aegis anti-missile systems but offered Taiwan 30-year-old Kidd destroyers instead, the Foreign Ministry of China stressed once more that it regards the weapons offered for sale to Taiwan as modern. The USA also plans to sell Taiwan 12 R-3 Orion anti-submarine planes and eight diesel submarines.

Visit www.rian.ru for RIA 'Novosti' news.