China opposes US sales of F-16 jets to Taiwan

BEIJING - China on Monday voiced its opposition to a defense spending bill passed last week by the US House of Representatives that pushed for sales of F-16 jets to Taiwan.

"We have taken note of the bill," said Foreign Ministry spokesman Hong Lei at a news briefing, adding that China firmly opposes US lawmakers' exaggeration of China's military development and push for arms sales to Taiwan.

The House of Representatives voted Friday to require the United States to sell F-16 C/D fighter-jets to Taiwan.

"China sticks to the path of peaceful development," said the spokesman, adding it is baseless and irresponsible for anyone to play up the "China threat theory."

"To push for weapons sales to Taiwan severely violates the one-China policy and the three joint communiques between China and the United States, which severely interferes with China's internal affairs," Hong said.

During the briefing, Hong urged "some US lawmakers" to get rid of their Cold War mentality and stop pushing for arms sales to Taiwan and all wrongdoings of interfering with China's internal affairs.

"(They should) do more to help China-US relations and the mutual trust between the two nations, not the contrary," he added.