China-US relations strained over Taiwan issue

Relations between China and the United States are becoming increasingly tense over the issue of arms sales to Taiwan.

On December 19, China's Ministry of Defense and Ministry of Foreign Affairs both strongly protested President Obama's signing of a bill allowing the sale of four missile frigates to Taiwan, and threatened to take further strong measures against the US based on developments in the situation.

Chinese Defense Ministry spokesman Geng Yansheng (photo: chinanews.com)

In a statement issued yesterday (December 19), Chinese Defense Ministry Spokesperson Geng Yansheng said that the US action was a gross interference in China's internal affairs, seriously violating the content of the three Joint Communiqués reached between the two countries, including the Joint Communiqué of August 17, 1982, which clearly defined the principle of non-interference in each other's internal affairs.

Mr. Geng Yansheng also asked the US to respect China's core interests and major concerns, and make efforts to promote positive development of relations between the two countries.

On the side of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Qin Gang also made similar criticisms of the US at a press conference in Beijing on December 19. Notably, Mr. Qin Gang said that the country has conducted stern communications with the US side both in Beijing and Washington, and affirmed that China will reserve the possibility of taking further actions depending on the development of the situation.

China's reaction came just one day after US President Obama signed a bill passed by the US Congress regarding arms sales to Taiwan. Previously, the US House of Representatives and the US Senate passed Resolution 1683, allowing the Obama administration to sell four missile frigates to Taiwan.

The US's annual arms sales to Taiwan have always been a constant source of tension in the relationship between China and the US. In 2010, relations between the two countries became tense with the suspension of most bilateral military communication mechanisms after the US decided to sell Taiwan a weapons package worth 6.4 billion USD./.

According to VOV