BEIJING, Sept. 16 (Xinhua) -- China on Sunday voiced
its strong dissatisfaction and resolute opposition to the U.S. tentative plans
of arms sales to Taiwan and urges the United States to immediately cancel the
plans.
Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Jiang
Yu said China firmly opposes the U.S. arms sales to Taiwan. "Our position is
consistent and clear," she said.
She said the United States would seriously violate
its commitments to China made in the three Sino-U.S. joint communiques, in
particular the joint communique signed between the two countries on Aug. 17,
1982, if it sells P-3C antisubmarine aircraft and other advanced weapons to
Taiwan.
She said the arms sales to Taiwan also constitutes
wanton interference in China's internal affairs, noting the Chinese side has
expressed strong objection and lodged a solemn protest with the U.S..
The U.S. Department of Defense on Wednesday announced
tentative plans to sell 12 P-3C antisubmarine aircraft and 144 cruise missiles
to Taiwan.
The current situation across the Taiwan Straits is
"very complicated and sensitive", Jiang said, referring to Taiwan authority's
push for a referendum on UN membership in the name of Taiwan.
Jiang urged the United States to adhere to its solemn
commitments on the Taiwan issue with concrete actions, immediately cancel the
tentative plans of arms sales to Taiwan, stop selling weapons to Taiwan, end its
military links with Taiwan and stop sending any wrong signals to "Taiwan
independence" secessionist forces.
"China reserve the rights of further action", Jiang
said.
Mainland official lambasts Taiwan
leader's new secessionist remarks
BEIJING, Sept. 16 (Xinhua) -- A Chinese mainland official
has lashed out at Taiwan leader Chen Shui-bian's "Taiwan independence" remarks
made on Saturday.
During a rally on Saturday, Chen feverishly whipped
up support for his "referendum" plan on the island's entry into the United
Nations, and told the lie of "Taiwan being a sovereign state."
"The situation of the rally shows that Chen's
'referendum' plan fails to get support from the masses," a spokesman for the
Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council said here Sunday. Full story
