US arms sales to Taipei threatens peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait, says China

China alleged that the US providing arms to Taiwan was a serious violation of the security agreement between Beijing and Washington. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning addressed a news briefing on Thursday saying that Washington's “arms sales to the island of Taiwan are a serious violation of the Sino-US agreements, and also threaten peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait.” The comments come a day after the US Department of State approved a sale worth more than USD 425 million of spare aircraft parts to support Taiwan's fleet of F-16 fighters, C-130 transport planes and other US-supplied weapons systems. 

Ning urged the United States to return to the “One China” policy and not keep using Taiwan as a pawn in an attempt to contain China. Highlighting on the ‘One China’ policy, Ning said, "The sale of arms by the United States to the Chinese region of Taiwan is a flagrant violation of the ‘one China’ principle and runs counter to the three joint Sino-US communiques, in particular the communique of August 17, 1982. The arms supplies undermine sovereignty and security, threaten peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait, and send a false message to Taiwan's separatist forces." 

Earlier, on December 7, the US Department of State approved a possible sale of about $430 million worth of aircraft parts and components and other equipment to Taiwan, the Defense Security Cooperation Agency said on Tuesday. The agency is responsible for the supply of military equipment and weapons abroad under intergovernmental contracts.

Taiwan has been governed by its local administration since 1949. Taiwan has preserved the flag and several other symbols of the Republic of China that had existed before the Communists took over the mainland. According to China’s official position supported by most countries, including Russia, the Island of Taiwan is one of China’s provinces, as reported by Russian News Agency TASS. 

How has the US reacted to these allegations?

On Tuesday, the Biden administration signed off on two new significant arms sales to the east asian nation. The State Department said it had okayed sales worth more than $425 million of spare aircraft parts to support Taiwan’s fleet of F-16 fighters, C-130 transport planes and other US-supplied weapons systems. The package includes $330 million in standard replacement parts and $98 million in non-standard equipment along with related accessories and logistics.

The sales were announced just weeks after US President Joe Biden met his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping for talks in Indonesia in which China’s increasingly aggressive behaviour toward Taiwan was a major issue. China regards Taiwan as a renegade province and has vowed to reunify the island with the mainland by force, if necessary. “This proposed sale serves U.S. national, economic, and security interests by supporting the recipient’s continuing efforts to maintain a credible defensive capability,” the State Department said. The US has continued its exchanges with Taiwan stating that the Taiwan Relations Act allowed them to go over any authority that Beijing has.