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The People’s Republic of China has expressed concern over the US administration’s unblocking of arms supplies to Taiwan and called on Washington to stop arming the island.
This was stated by Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Lin Jian at a briefing.
“China is seriously concerned about such reports and calls on the United States to stop arming Taiwan and refrain from taking steps that undermine peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait,” he said, commenting on the information about the unfreezing of $5.3 billion in US aid, of which $870 million is earmarked for Taiwan security programmes.
The diplomat stressed that Beijing has always strongly opposed US military support for Taiwan, as it “seriously violates the principle of one China, China’s sovereignty and security interests, and sends the wrong message to separatist forces”.
According to him, China will closely monitor the situation and take all necessary measures to protect national sovereignty, security and territorial integrity.
The Chinese government considers Taiwan to be its province and declares its readiness to “reunite” the island with the mainland by force. At the same time, Taiwan has its own administration and has never been part of the PRC.
The United States, like most countries in the world, officially adheres to the “One China” policy, but supports Taipei by providing it with military assistance to strengthen its defences against potential aggression from Beijing.
