Powell Rules out Taiwan Arms Sale That Violates AgreementUS Secretary of State Colin Powell on Friday offered assurances that the United States will sell no weapons system to Taiwan that violates a 1982 agreement with China, the Associated Press has reported.The secretary of state told reporters that the United States will honor the US-China Joint Communique issued on August 17, 1982, which forbids transfer of weapons to Taiwan qualitatively or quantitatively superior to those of any previous year, the AP said. On relations with China while addressing an annual meeting of US National Newspaper Association on Friday, Powell described meetings with visiting Chinese Vice Premier Qian Qichen as "excellent." "We are trading partners, ... there is so much we can work on together, and must work on together," Powell said. "And together, we can leave the past behind and move forward in more positive ways and more positive directions," he added. |
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