China has pledged “resolute countermeasures” following the United States’ decision to approve more arms sales to Taiwan, just hours before the island’s President William Lai Ching-te made a transit through the state of Hawaii, which further angered Beijing.
In a statement on Sunday, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said the US arms sale to Taiwan sends “a wrong signal” to the island’s Taiwan independence forces and undermines US-China relations.
“China will closely follow the developments and take resolute and strong measures to defend our nation’s sovereignty and territorial integrity,” it added.
The US is bound by law to provide Taiwan with the means to defend itself despite the lack of formal diplomatic ties between Washington and Taipei, to the constant anger of Beijing.
Taiwan rejects China’s claims of sovereignty.
The US State Department had approved the potential sale, worth an estimated $385m, of spare parts and support for F-16 jets and radars to Taiwan, hours before Lai began his trip to three Pacific nations, with stops in Hawaii and the US territory of Guam.
In a separate statement issued by a Foreign Ministry spokesman on Sunday, China said it “strongly condemned” the US for “arranging” Lai’s stopover, during which he was welcomed by Hawaii Governor Josh Green.
The statement added that it has “lodged serious protests with the US”.
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