China says US arms supply to Taiwan won’t close cross-Straits military gap

By Riyaz ul Khaliq

ISTANBUL (AA) - China on Thursday said the arms supply to Taipei “won’t close the military gap” across the Taiwan Strait, state media reported.

“Several pieces of US weaponry will not close the cross-Straits military power gap, still less stop the historical trend of China’s reunification,” said Defense Ministry spokesman Zhang Xiaogang.

He was reacting to the approval of arms sales worth $1.98 billion by the US to Taiwan last week. It includes the surface-to-air missile system and radar system.

This was the Biden administration’s 17th arms supply approval since 2021.

China’s Foreign Ministry had lodged a protest with the US over its arms sales to Taiwan.

It “seriously violates the one-China principle and the three China-US joint communiques, especially the August 17 Communique of 1982," the ministry said.

China considers Taiwan its "breakaway province" while Taipei has maintained its independence since 1949.

“The sales seriously undermine China’s sovereignty and security interests, harm China-US relations and peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait, and send a gravely wrong message to Taiwan independence separatist forces,” the ministry said.

On the passage of warships through the Taiwan Strait, Zhang said China "firmly opposes certain countries using the so-called freedom of navigation as a pretext to provoke and undermine its sovereignty and security."

"The Chinese military is always prepared to counter any threats and provocations and defend national sovereignty and territorial integrity," he added.

Meanwhile, Chinese military's aircraft carriers Liaoning and Shandong for the first time on Thursday held dual-carrier formation drills in the disputed South China Sea.

The maritime drill "is a combat-scenario training, aiming to further enhance the carrier group's systematic combat capabilities," said Zhang.