Spokesman condemns U.S.' arms sales to Taiwan

The United States should stop arming Taiwan, and should put its commitment of not supporting "Taiwan independence" into action, a Chinese defense spokesman said on Saturday in response to the new round of U.S. arms sales to the island.

The remarks were made by Wu Qian, a spokesperson for the delegation of the People's Liberation Army and the People's Armed Police Force at the second session of the 14th National People's Congress.

Recently, U.S. Congress members have made successive visits to Taiwan, and the U.S. government has once again approved arms sales to the region. Additionally, the Taiwan authorities said they intended to purchase Stinger missiles from the U.S., continuing to strengthen their asymmetric warfare capabilities.

Wu said: "Taiwan is China's Taiwan. The Taiwan question is purely China's internal affair, which allows no foreign interference."

"Taiwan independence" is the greatest threat to peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait, and any indulgence or support for "Taiwan independence" forces a disruption to the peace of the Taiwan Strait, he said.

The U.S. should adhere to the one-China principle and the provisions of the three China-U.S. joint communiques, cease any form of official exchanges with the Taiwan region of China, stop arming Taiwan, implement its commitment to not supporting "Taiwan independence" into actual actions and stop sending any wrong signals to "Taiwan independence" separatist forces, the spokesperson said.

Wu criticized the island's Democratic Progressive Party authorities for refusing to recognize the one-China principle and the 1992 Consensus, stubbornly sticking to a stance of "Taiwan independence" and continuously engaging in attempts for independence by colluding with external forces.

He said these are the "root causes of the ongoing tension and turmoil" in the Taiwan Strait, emphasizing that the DPP authorities must bear all consequences arising from this.

"The compatriots on both sides of the Strait share the same roots," he said. "We are willing to make the greatest sincerity, make the utmost effort to strive for the prospects of peaceful reunification, but we will not leave any room for 'Taiwan independence' separatist activities."

Wu warned that the PLA will continue to strengthen its training and combat readiness, resolutely fight against "Taiwan independence" and promote unification, always acting as the "steel Great Wall" defending the country's sovereignty and territorial integrity.