China opposes U.S. arms sales to Taiwan

China says it has lodged stern representations to Washington over the sale of arms to Taiwan by the United States.

“The United States has ignored China’s core concerns, violently interfered in China’s internal affairs and deliberately pushed up tensions in the Taiwan Strait,” China’s defence ministry spokesperson Tan Kefei said in a statement.

The U.S. State Department had approved the potential sale of ammunition and logistics support to Taiwan in two separate deals valued at up to $440 million, the Pentagon said last week.

According to the Pentagon, Taiwan had asked to purchase 30mm ammunition, including high-explosive incendiary-tracer rounds, multi-purpose rounds and training rounds, for an estimated cost of $332.2 million.

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Taiwan’s defence ministry said the sales would boost the island’s resilience against China’s “expanding threats of military and grey zone tactics”, which it said has posed “severe threats” to Taiwan.

Taiwan’s defence ministry has said China continued to use “grey zone” tactics to test its responses, including sending drones, balloons and fishing boats to areas near Taiwan.