China urges US to stop arms sales to Taiwan

BEIJING, Feb. 22 (Xinhua) -- A Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson on Thursday urged the United States to stop arms sales to and military contact with Taiwan.

According to reports, the U.S. Department of Defense said in a statement that the U.S. State Department has approved the sale of a 75-million-U.S.-dollar advanced tactical data link system to Taiwan.

In response, Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Mao Ning told a press briefing that the U.S. arms sales to China's Taiwan region seriously violate the one-China principle and the stipulations of the three China-U.S. joint communiques, particularly the August 17 Communique of 1982.

"Such sales undermine China's sovereignty and security interests, and harm China-U.S. relations and peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait," Mao said, noting that China firmly opposes this.

Mao said China urges the United States to abide by the one-China principle and the three China-U.S. joint communiques, stop arms sales to and military contact with Taiwan, and stop creating factors that could heighten tensions in the Taiwan Strait.

"China will take resolute and strong measures to safeguard its sovereignty and territorial integrity," the spokesperson added.