U.S. urged to stop military contact with Taiwan: Chinese spokesperson

BEIJING, May 26 (Xinhua) -- A Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson on Friday said the U.S. provision of weapons to Taiwan is extremely wrong and dangerous, urging the U.S. to stop military contact with Taiwan and arming the island.

Spokesperson Mao Ning made the remarks at a daily press briefing, in response to media reports that the U.S. government has started to deliver its plan to send weapons aid to Taiwan via presidential drawdown authority, with the first batch of Stinger anti-aircraft missiles already arrived in Taiwan on May 24.

The U.S. provision of weapons to Taiwan gravely violates the three China-U.S. Joint Communiques, especially the August 17 Communique, interferes in China's internal affairs, harms China's sovereignty and security interests, and undermines cross-Strait peace and stability, Mao said.

"This is extremely wrong and dangerous. China strongly deplores and firmly rejects this and has made serious demarches to the U.S. side," said Mao.

From U.S. politician's clamoring for "destroying Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing (TSMC)" to arming the island of Taiwan into a "porcupine," Mao said it is all too obvious that the U.S. would stop at nothing - even if it means destroying Taiwan - to contain China. The over 1.4 billion Chinese people, including the Taiwan compatriots, will not accept this, Mao said.

China urges the U.S. to abide by the one-China principle and the three China-U.S. joint communiques, stop military contact with Taiwan and arming Taiwan, stop creating factors that heighten tensions across the Taiwan Strait, and stop conniving at and supporting separatist forces' attempt to seek "Taiwan independence" by force, said the spokesperson.

"China will closely follow the developments of the situation and resolutely safeguard our nation's sovereignty, security and territorial integrity," she added.