(Photo: Chinanews.com)

China’s top diplomat to the U.S. denounced Washington’s latest decision to sell arms to Taiwan, which the U.S. Department of State announced late Thursday.

Chinese Ambassador Cui Tiankai debunked the U.S. government's statement, which said that arms sales would maintain Taiwan’s confidence to engage with the Chinese mainland in dialogue to improve cross-Strait relations.

Arms sales to Taiwan undermine the fundamental principle of cross-Strait relations and threaten, rather than support, the peace and stability across the Strait, which does nothing to serve the interests of the U.S., the ambassador told reporters at a reception event held by the Chinese Embassy on Thursday.

The Chinese ambassador stressed that China is always firmly opposed to arms sales to Taiwan, which violate the one-China principle as well as the three joint communiques between China and the United States.

The sale, valued about $1.42 billion, requires congressional approval, and would be the first to Taiwan under U.S. President Donald Trump and the first since December 2015.