China warns US ‘playing with fire’ by supplying weapons to Taiwan | EUROtoday

For free actual time breaking information alerts despatched straight to your inbox signal as much as our breaking information emails

Sign as much as our free breaking information emails

Sign as much as our free breaking information emails

China has warned the US that sending weapons to Taiwan is akin to “playing with fire” and dangers extreme penalties.

The US lately introduced $571.3m (£473m) in navy help to the island and accepted $295m in arms gross sales.

A spokesperson for the Chinese overseas ministry mentioned on Sunday that the transfer violates the “One China” precept and the three China-US joint communiqués, Global Times reported. The precept lays down that Taiwan is an inalienable a part of China to be unified in the future.

The resolution to ship extra weapons can also be a breach of commitments made by US leaders to not help “Taiwan independence” and sends a gravely fallacious sign to “separatist forces” on the island, the state media outlet quoted the spokesperson as saying.

To help Taiwan’s independence by arming the island is like enjoying with fireplace and can get the US burned, it mentioned.

In any case, the outlet added, the technique of utilizing “the Taiwan question” to include China is doomed to fail.

Beijing has lodged a proper protest with Washington in opposition to the arms gross sales. It has additionally urged the US to right away cease arming Taiwan and put an finish to strikes that undermine peace and stability within the Taiwan Strait.

“We will take all measures necessary to firmly defend national sovereignty, security and territorial integrity,” the spokesperson mentioned.

China sanctioned 5 Western arms producers earlier this yr after a earlier spherical of American weapons gross sales to Taiwan.

The Joe Biden administration’s navy help bundle for Taiwan, the third this yr, comes alongside the sale of upgraded tactical methods and naval weaponry. Chinese strategic analysts have dismissed the importance of the brand new weapons for Taiwan however famous their value and accused the US of exploiting the island to profit its arms producers.

Tensions within the Taiwan Strait stay at boiling level, with Beijing ramping up navy drills close to the island in October in what it described as “punishment” for president Lai Ching-te vowing to “resist annexation” or “encroachment upon our sovereignty”.’

China considers Taiwan as its personal territory and president Xi Jinping has vowed to unify the island with the mainland, by power if vital.