Foreign and Military Affairs

China suspends military visits with US

By Li Xiaokun, Hou Lei and Xie Jingwei (chinadaily.com.cn)
Updated: 2010-01-30 17:31

China has decided to suspend scheduled visits between the Chinese and US armed forces after Washington's announcement of arms sales to Taiwan, said Huang Xueping, Defense Ministry spokesman in a statement Saturday.

Major General Qian Lihua, who is the director of the foreign affairs office of the Ministry of National Defense, summoned the military attaché of the US embassy to China and lodged a solemn protest to the US, sources in the ministry told chinadaily.com.cn Saturday.

China will also impose sanctions on the US companies involved in the arms sales to Taiwan, according to a press release of the Foreign Ministry.

The US administration announced its plan on January 30 to sell a package of arms worth about US$6.4 billion to Taiwan including Patriot (PAC-3) anti-missile systems, UH-60M Black Hawk helicopters, Harpoon Block II Telemetry missiles, Osprey Class mine hunting ships and a command and control enhancement system.

Huang said the Chinese military expresses great indignation and strongly opposes the move which "is gravely against the three joint communiqués between China and the United States, especially the 'August 17' communiqué", the two leaders' consensus on Sino-US ties in the new period and the principle of the US-China Joint Statement.

"The plan endangers China's national security and core interests and will severely disrupt the ties between the two militaries and will have a seriously negative impact on the cooperation between the two countries as well as peace and stability in the Taiwan Straits," Huang said.

"The Chinese military expresses its strong indignation and opposition to the US move which betrays its promises to China, wantonly intervenes in China's internal affairs and damages China's national security."

To avoid further damage to the bilateral military relationship and cross-Straits stability, the US government must stop the arms sales and end the military ties between the US and Taiwan, Huang said.

He noted that the Chinese government will never compromise on the Taiwan issue and the Chinese army will resolutely fight against any deed that impairs the state sovereignty, safety or territorial integrity.

Chinese government will monitor development of the situation and respond accordingly, he added.

Chinese Vice Foreign Minister He Yafei said earlier Saturday that the Chinese government was "strongly indignant" about the proposed arms sales and has lodged a solemn representation to Jon Huntsman, the US ambassador to China.

The US side states in the "August 17" Communique signed in 1982 that "it does not seek to carry out a long-term policy of arms sales to Taiwan" and "intends to reduce gradually its sales of arms to Taiwan, leading over a period of time to a final resolution."