Taipei will get an array of missiles, amphibious assault vehicles and two frigates in the latest deal which comes as the United States looks to shore up its Asian friends and allies in the face of growing Chinese assertiveness.
“China staunchly opposes America’s sale of arms to Taiwan,” a statement from the country’s foreign affairs ministry said as US charge d’affaires Kaye Lee was called in for a dressing down.
It said Beijing would impose sanctions on any
companies involved in the sale, and warned Washington to cancel the deal to “avoid
causing further damage to Sino-US relations.”
Although it
has been governed separately since the end of a civil war in 1949, China considers Taiwan a renegade province awaiting
reunification.
It regularly lashes out at
The US weapons sale — the first to Taiwan in four years — comes at an increasingly febrile time in East Asia, where China’s aggressive position on territorial disputes with its neighbors has raised anxiety levels in the US and among allies from Japan to the Philippines.
Several countries — along with
The
In their meeting last Wednesday, Vice Foreign Minister Zheng Zeguang told Lee the weapons deal “severely goes against international law and the basic norms of international relations,” adding it “severely harms
“US companies’ involvement in arms sales with
State Department spokesman John Kirby said the deal was in keeping with long-held American policy and would not affect relations with Beijing.
“As for our relationship with
“There’s no other message that needs to be taken away from this, other than we take seriously our commitment to the defense needs of
Relations between
That meeting, and the generally pro-Beijing posture of Ma’s administration, has caused disquiet in
“The US pays heed to Taiwan’s need to defend itself and would like to help
Taiwan maintain sufficient self-defense capabilities,” the island’s defense
ministry statement said in a statement.
Observers said the Chinese reaction was predictable bluster fromBeijing .
Observers said the Chinese reaction was predictable bluster from
The deal is unlikely to have a significant impact on Sino-US relations, said Bonnie Glaser, a senior adviser for Asia at the Washington-based Center for Strategic and International Studies.
“
She added
The deal includes two Perry-class Frigates, Javelin anti-tank missiles, TOW 2B anti-tank missiles, AAV-7 Amphibious Assault Vehicles and a range of other military equipment.
http://www.tribune.net.ph/headlines/china-summons-us-envoy-protests-arms-sales-to-taiwan
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