China vows measures over U.S. arms sales to Taiwan

China will take legitimate and necessary measures to firmly safeguard its national sovereignty and security interests, Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin said on Tuesday, adding that the United States sent the wrong signal to "Taiwan independence" separatists forces by approving the latest round of arms sales to Taiwan.

The U.S. State Department notified Congress on Monday of plans for a $2.37 billion sale of Harpoon missile systems to Taiwan just hours after Beijing announced sanctions on U.S. defense contractors, including Boeing, the lead contractor on the Harpoon deal, according to media reports.

"China is firmly opposed to arms sales to Taiwan by the U.S.," Wang told reporters at a news briefing in Beijing.

The sales severely violate the one-China principle and the three China-U.S. joint communiques, especially the August 17 communique, and they interfere in China's internal affairs and seriously undermine China's sovereignty and security interests, he said.

"China urges the U.S. to stop arms sales to and military ties with Taiwan and cancel its arms sales plans to avoid further harming China-U.S. relations and cross-Straits peace and stability," Wang said.

Zhu Fenglian, a spokeswoman for the State Council Taiwan Affairs Office, said on Tuesday that the Democratic Progressive Party's efforts to seek "independence" are due to fail, and these moves will only undermine peace and stability across the Taiwan Straits and bring disaster to people on the island.

Ren Guoqiang, spokesman for the Defense Ministry, said the Taiwan question allows no interference from foreign forces. It concerns China's sovereignty and territorial integrity as well as China's core interests, he said in a statement issued on Tuesday.

The People's Liberation Army is resolutely determined, fully confident and capable of frustrating any form of external interference and attempt to seek "independence" for Taiwan, Ren said.

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