Chinese defense ministry opposes planned U.S. drone sale to Taiwan

Photo taken on May 22, 2020 shows flags on the Tian'anmen Square and atop the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China. (Xinhua/Xing Guangli)

A Chinese military spokesperson Wednesday firmly opposed and strongly condemned the plan approved by the U.S. State Department to sell aerial drones to Taiwan.

Wu Qian, a spokesperson for the Ministry of National Defense, said the sale of U.S. arms to Taiwan is a serious violation of the one-China principle and the three China-U.S. Joint Communiques.

The act severely jeopardizes China's sovereignty, security and territorial integrity, challenges China's core interests, and undermines the relations between the two countries and the two militaries as well as peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait, Wu added.

The Taiwan question bears on China's sovereignty and territorial integrity and concerns China's core interests, which allows no foreign interference, the spokesperson noted.

Any attempt to contain China with the Taiwan question or refuse reunification with the use of force is nothing but kicking against the pricks and will lead nowhere, Wu said.

The U.S. side is urged to immediately cancel any arms sale plan, and cease arms sales to Taiwan and military contact with the island to avoid incalculable damage to bilateral ties and peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait, Wu said.