Defense official warns US of weapons sales
- Source: Global Times
- [04:06 December 14 2009]
- Comments
If the US government plans new arms sales to Taiwan, it would do more damage to the interests of the US than to those of China, a Chinese defense ministry official told the Global Times anonymously Sunday without elaboration.
In an exclusive interview with Reuters, a US State Department official told Reuters last week that the administration of President Barack Obama is moving toward possible new arms sales to Taiwan, including design work on diesel-electric submarines.
New submarines could help Taiwan challenge any seaborne assault from Chinese mainland, the report said.
Also progressing toward notification to the US Congress is the sale to Taiwan of UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters, said Robert Kovac, acting deputy assistant secretary of state for defense trade.
In addition, the Obama administration is weighing more sales to Taipei of Patriot Advanced Capability missiles known as PAC-3, as well as an operations deal for the "Po Sheng" (Broad Victory) command and control program, Kovac said.
"No matter if Obama's intention is to appease weapon manufactures or to counter conservatives who blame him for softening tones on China, such weapons sales will make Sino-US relations go backward," Gao Zugui, an expert at the China Institutes of Contemporary International Relations, told the Global Times. "The White House would be responsible for all the setbacks caused."
"China firmly opposes US arms sales to Taiwan, and this position is consistent and clear," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Jiang Yu told reporters Friday.
"We urge the US to abide by the principles of the three China-US Joint Communiques, especially the August 17 Communique, and stop arms sales to Taiwan and take concrete actions to support the peaceful development of cross-Straits relations and safeguard the overall situation of China-US relations," Jiang added.
Reuters – Global Times
