Vice-Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi on the morning of August 2 summoned James Moriarty, charge d'affaires ad interim of the US Embassy to his office and, on behalf of the Chinese government, lodged a strong protest against the US government's announcement to sell a large number of advanced weapons and equipment to Taiwan, according to China's foreign ministry.

Yang said that the US government disregarded the strong opposition and solemn representations of the Chinese government and made the announcement recently. The weapons include E-2T early warning planes and parts and equipment for F-16 fighters and are valued at US$550 million.

The US side needs to be aware of the seriousness and danger of arms sales to Taiwan and must cancel arms sales to Taiwan and take practical steps to correct this mistake, he said.

This erroneous practice seriously violates the three Sino-US joint communiques, especially the August 17 communique, Yang said, and is a gross interference in China's internal affairs and an encroachment on Chinese sovereignty and territorial integrity, and will further intensify tensions across the Taiwan straits, and cause severe damage to Sino-US relations.

The Chinese government and people express strong indignation over this, he said.

Yang pointed out that there is only one China in the world and that Taiwan is an inalienable part of Chinese territory and that the international community, including the US government, generally acknowledges that the Government of the People's Republic of China is the sole legitimate government of China.

The US Government declared clearly in the August 17 Joint Communique of 1982 that it did not seek to carry out a long-term policy of arms sales to Taiwan and promised that its arms sales to Taiwan would not exceed, either in qualitative or in quantitative terms, the level of those supplied in recent years since the establishment of diplomatic relations between the United States and China, and that it intends gradually to reduce its arms sales to Taiwan, leading to a final resolution of this issue over a period time.

But, the United States has now instead decided to sell advanced arms and equipment in large quantities in contrast to its pledge and basic norms in international relations, Yang said, adding that this faithless act is strongly opposed by the Chinese people and condemned by those countries and people who uphold justice around the world.

He said that the determination of the Chinese Government and people to safeguard national sovereignty and territorial integrity is unchangeable and that the Taiwan issue will surely be resolved and China will completely be reunified.

China believes in certain principles in developing Sino-US relations, he said, and improved and expanded relations must be based on the three joint communiques between China and the United States and the principles of these communiques should not be violated.

A country must practice what it preaches and honor its promise before it can win the trust of the international community, Yang said, and this is necessary for the healthy development of state- to-state relations, especially between big powers.

China solemnly demands that the US Government proceed from the general interests of the Sino-US relations and deal properly with problems to that regard, he said, in particular, the US Government should strictly observe the three joint communiques and its pledge on the Taiwan issue.