China protest U.S. arms sale Taiwan

2010-01-31 06:09:58 - China made strong objection onto Washington announced a 6.4-billion-dollar arms package for Taiwan, thus shaping Sino-US crisis under reins of President Barack Obama.Chinese Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi expressed on the U.S. arms sales to Taiwan here Saturday, urging the U.S. to stop selling weapons to the Chinese province.Yang, who is paying an official visit to Cyprus, said in disregard of strong opposition and repeated protest from China, the U.S. administration flagrantly announced its plan to sell the weapons to Taiwan worth about 6.4 billion dollars.

Such a move is gravely against the three joint communiques between China and the United States, especially the "Aug. 17" communique, Yang said, adding that it constitutes crude interference in China's internal affairs, and harms China's national security and peaceful reunification efforts.

China has suspended military exchanges with the United States.Chinese officials desbribe the spill over on Washington's 6.4-billion dollar arms deal with Taiwan, the territory that Beijing claims as its own. Uncle Sam in its $6.4 billion arms package, includes Patriot anti-missile systems, Black Hawk helicopters and Harpoon missiles. Huang Xiangyang in chinadaily.com.cn said, The generous offer to militarily equip Taiwan
reminds us how grudgingly Washington sees China rise and compatriots across the Straits live in peace.

Xinhua reports that Ignoring repeated solemn representations made by China, the U.S. government on Friday notified Congress of its nearly 6.4 billion-U.S.-dollar arms sale package to Taiwan.The sale is a wrong decision, which not only undermines China's national security interests and her national unification cause, but also once again hurts the national feelings of the Chinese people.A report on the state-run Xinhua news agency, China's Defense Ministry said the decision to halt visits between the Chinese and U.S. armed forces was made in consideration of the serious harm and impacts on Sino-U.S. military relations brought about by the arms deal. Xinhua did not immediately provide further details on the visits.China said it was suspending military and security contacts with the United States, and imposing sanctions on US firms involved in the Taiwan deal.

Chinese defence ministry spokesman Huang Xueping said the reprisals reflected the "severe harm" posed by the deal with Taiwan, which Beijing says is a part of its territory and must return to the mainland fold.On other side,the US State Department spokeswoman Laura Tischler told media AFP the sale "contributes to maintaining security and stability across the Taiwan Strait.

"Taiwanese President Ma Ying-jeou, who has overseen a marked warming in trade and political relations with China, said Beijing had nothing to fear from the sale."It will let Taiwan feel more confident and secure so we can have more interactions with China," Ma said, according to Taiwan's Central News Agency.

Obama's national security advisor, former general James Jones, said the administration was being "transparent" with Beijing, which the United States recognises as the legal government for all of China."But we are bent towards a new relationship with China as a rising power in the world, with influence on a variety of issues that go beyond the arms sales," he said.

Pentagon official said it regretted Beijing's suspension of military exchanges."We regret that the Chinese side has curtailed military-to-military and other exchanges," Pentagon spokesman Geoff Morrell told AFP."We also regret Chinese action against US firms transferring defensive articles to Taiwan."

Chinese Vice Foreign Minister He Yafei made an urgent official protest to the US ambassador in Beijing, Jon Huntsman, Chinese officials told AFP.In a statement to Huntsman, he urged Washington to cancel the deal, which he said constituted "crude interference in China's internal affairs that seriously endangers China's national security and damages China's peaceful reunification."

Taiwan enjoys high-profile backers in the US Congress, which requires the administration to provide the island with weapons of a defensive nature. Media agencies