Chinese defense spokesperson denounces U.S. arms sales to Taiwan

BEIJING, Oct. 31 (Xinhua) -- A few pieces of U.S. weaponry will not close the cross-Strait military power gap, and they will definitely not stop the historical trend of China's reunification, a Chinese defense spokesperson said on Thursday.

Zhang Xiaogang, a spokesperson for the Ministry of National Defense, made the remarks in response to a media inquiry on the United States' new plan to sell arms to China's Taiwan region, reportedly including the surface-to-air missile system and radar system.

The U.S. arms sales to Taiwan severely violate the one-China principle and the three China-U.S. joint communiques, and send very wrong signals to the "Taiwan independence" separatist forces, Zhang said.

"The United States has reneged on its own promise and is intensifying efforts to arm Taiwan, emboldening the 'Taiwan independence' separatist forces and pushing Taiwan closer toward the abyss of military conflict," the spokesperson stated.

It has been proven time and again that "Taiwan independence" separatists and foreign interference are the sources of chaos that undermine the status quo, cause cross-Strait crises, and disrupt regional stability, Zhang said.

The spokesperson reiterated that the Chinese military will improve its combat readiness continuously, comprehensively enhance its capability to fight and win, and safeguard national sovereignty and territorial integrity firmly.