TAIPEI (TVBS News) — China strongly criticized on Tuesday (Dec. 19) a U.S. arms sale to Taiwan worth US＄300 million, calling for an immediate halt to US military assistance to the island and warning against attempts to control China using Taiwan.
The Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) recently announced the sale, which includes tactical secure communications systems for Taiwan's defense. While the US considers it support for Taiwan's self-defense, China sees it as a violation of the "One China" policy and the 1982 communique.
China's Ministry of National Defense (MOD) spokesman Wu Qian emphasized the sensitivity of the Taiwan issue in US-China relations and stated that the People's Liberation Army (PLA) would intensify its readiness to safeguard sovereignty and maintain peace across the Taiwan Strait.
China's Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Wang Wen-bin has lodged a formal protest with the US and imposed punitive measures on involved companies.