WASHINGTON, December 26. /TASS/. The United States’ plans to supply weapons to Taiwan will not bring Washington the results it hopes for, Liu Pengyu, spokesperson for the Chinese Embassy in the US, told TASS, stressing that China’s determination to defend its sovereignty must not be underestimated.
"The "Taiwan independence" separatist forces on the island attempt to advance their independence agenda and resist reunification through military buildup, squander the taxpayers’ money to purchase weapons, and even risk turning Taiwan into a "powder keg." Such moves will not reverse the inevitable failure of "Taiwan independence," and will only push the Taiwan Strait into the danger of military conflict at a faster pace. For the U.S., assisting the "independence" agenda by arming Taiwan will only backfire, and using Taiwan to contain China will never succeed," he emphasized in response to a recently published Pentagon report on the development of China’s military, which asserted that Beijing aims to ensure by the end of 2027 the capability to wage a war against Taiwan and to win it.
Liu Pengyu emphasized that earlier "the US blatantly announced its plan to sell massive advanced weapons to China’s Taiwan region." "This move grossly violates the one-China principle and the three China-US joint communiqu·s, infringes on China’s sovereignty, security and territorial integrity, undermines peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait, and sends a gravely wrong signal to "Taiwan independence" separatist forces. China strongly deplores and firmly opposes this, and has immediately lodged serious protests with the US side," he stressed.
"No one shall underestimate the firm will and strong capability of the Chinese government and the Chinese people in safeguarding national sovereignty and territorial integrity," he added. According to him, the United States must "immediately stop the dangerous act of arming Taiwan." "China will take resolute and strong measures to defend its national sovereignty, security and territorial integrity," he reiterated, asserting that the Taiwan issue is fundamental for Beijing and remains "the first red line that must not be crossed in China-US relations."
Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesman Lin Jian earlier criticized reports from the US Department of War, asserting that they deliberately distort China’s defense strategy and serve as tools to sow discord in China’s relations with third countries.
US arms supplies to Taiwan
The US government earlier announced its approval of the sale of several arms packages to Taiwan, including HIMARS missile systems, anti-tank missiles, and drones, with a total estimated value of $11.1 billion.
Taiwanese leader Lai Ching-te wrote in a late November article for The Washington Post that Taipei will allocate an additional $40 billion for defense, specifying that the funds will be used to purchase weapons from the United States.
Taiwan has been governed independently since 1949, when remnants of the Kuomintang forces led by Chiang Kai-shek (1887-1975) fled there after their defeat in the Chinese Civil War. According to Beijing, supported by most countries including Russia, Taiwan is part of the PRC. The United States severed diplomatic relations with Taiwan in 1979 and established them with China. While adhering to the One China policy, Washington continues to maintain unofficial ties with Taipei and supply the island with weapons. China estimates that US military aid to Taiwan has exceeded $70 billion over the past several years.