Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Mao Ning is seen at the press conference in Beijing, China, Oct 14, 2022. A Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson on March 2, 2023 urged the United States to cease arms sales to and military contact with Taiwan. (PHOTO / CHINESE FOREIGN MINISTRY)
BEIJING – A Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson on Thursday urged the United States to cease arms sales to and military contact with Taiwan.
The US State Department on Wednesday approved the sale of new weapons to Taiwan. In response, Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Mao Ning told a press briefing that US arms sales to China's Taiwan region seriously violate the one-China principle and the stipulations of the three China-US joint communiques, particularly the August 17 Communique.
"Such sales undermine China's sovereignty and security interests, and harm China-US relations as well as peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait," Mao said, noting that China firmly opposes this.
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"We urge the United States to abide by the one-China principle and the three China-US joint communiques, cease arms sales to and military contact with Taiwan, and cease creating new factors that could lead to tensions in the Taiwan Straits," Mao said.
Stressing that Taiwan is an inalienable part of China, Mao said the separatist activities of the Democratic Progressive Party authorities toward "Taiwan independence" and the US attempt to use Taiwan to contain China are the root causes of the tensions in the Taiwan Straits.