US-China relations are strained over the Taiwan issue.
Relations between China and the United States are becoming increasingly strained over the issue of arms sales to Taiwan.
On December 19, the Chinese Ministry of Defense and Ministry of Foreign Affairs simultaneously issued strong protests against President Obama's signing of a bill authorizing the sale of four guided missile frigates to Taiwan, and threatened to take further strong measures against the United States based on the evolving situation.
Chinese Defense Ministry spokesperson Geng Yansheng (photo: chinanews.com)
In a statement issued yesterday (December 19), Chinese Ministry of Defense spokesperson Geng Yansheng stated that the US actions constituted a blatant interference in China's internal affairs, seriously violating the content of the three Joint Communiqués reached between the two countries, including the August 17, 1982 Joint Communiqué which clearly defined the principle of non-interference in each other's internal affairs.
Cảnh Nhạn Sinh also urged the U.S. to respect China's core interests and major concerns, and to work towards promoting positive development of relations between the two countries.
On the part of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Qin Gang, at a press conference in Beijing on December 19, also issued similar criticisms of the US. Notably, Qin Gang stated that China had conducted stern diplomatic exchanges with the US in both Beijing and Washington, and affirmed that China reserved the possibility of taking further action depending on the development of the situation.
China's reaction came just one day after US President Obama signed into law a bill passed by Congress concerning arms sales to Taiwan. Prior to this, the US House of Representatives and Senate had respectively passed Resolution 1683, authorizing the Obama administration to sell four guided missile frigates to Taiwan.
The annual sale of weapons by the United States to Taiwan has always been a source of tension in relations between China and the US. In 2010, relations between the two countries became strained with the suspension of most bilateral military communication mechanisms after the US decided to sell Taiwan a $6.4 billion arms package.
According to VOV
