China promises to take “necessary measures” on US arms sales worth $2 billion to Taiwan

Beijing says the latest arms package violates China’s sovereignty and endangers peace in the region.

China has criticized the latest round of US arms sales to Taiwan and has vowed to take “all necessary measures” to assert its sovereignty over the autonomous island it claims as its own.

The US State Department on Friday approved a $2 billion arms sales package for Taiwan, including advanced surface-to-air missile and radar systems, as part of its efforts to counter the growing military power of Taiwan. China in Asia Pacific.

US President Joe Biden’s administration has made combating China’s growing military and economic “assertiveness” in the region a key pillar of its foreign policy. It has also sought to shore up military alliances in the region while maintaining trade restrictions on Beijing.

The agreement awaits approval by Congress. The equipment will come from US Air Force supplies.

Taipei’s Defense Ministry on Saturday expressed its “sincere gratitude” for the sale, saying it would “help the military continue to improve its defense resilience and jointly maintain peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait.”

Beijing’s Foreign Ministry responded in a statement late Saturday, saying the latest arms package “seriously violates China’s sovereignty and security interests, seriously damages China-U.S. relations, and endangers peace and stability” in the strait.

“China strongly condemns and firmly opposes it, and has made solemn representations to the United States,” a ministry spokesperson said.

The ministry added that Beijing would “take all necessary measures to firmly defend national sovereignty, security and territorial integrity.”

China, which has called Taiwan’s sovereignty a “red line” that must not be crossed, has refused to rule out the use of force to bring Taiwan under its control.

Beijing maintains a near-daily presence of fighter jets, drones and warships around the democratic island, and this month held large-scale war exercises in its surroundings.

Earlier this month, Taiwan detected a record 153 Chinese aircraft in one day.

The United States is Taipei’s key partner and arms supplier despite having no official diplomatic ties with the democratic island.

Beijing has regularly expressed anger at international support for Taipei and accused Washington of meddling in its affairs. China says the United States is deviating from its “One China” policy, under which Washington does not openly support Taiwan independence.

In September, Beijing sanctioned American defense companies in retaliation for Washington’s approval of the sale of military equipment to Taiwan.