China demands halt of US arms sales to Taiwan

BEIJING, Apr 09 (Reuters): China said on Monday that it opposed the United States (US) selling weapons to Taiwan, after the Trump administration approved the marketing licence required for American manufacturers to sell technology to Taiwan that would allow for building submarines.

Taiwan’s Central News Agency said on Saturday that Taiwan’s Ministry of National Defence confirmed the US Department of State had agreed to grant the licence needed to sell the technology to Taiwan so the self-ruled island could build its own submarines.

China’s Defence Ministry, responding to a journalist’s question in an online statement about the issue, demanded that the US “halt all forms of military links between the US and Taiwan, as well as all forms of weapon sales to Taiwan”.

“China’s military has the ability and determination to defeat all attempts to separate our country, and will adopt all necessary measures to resolutely defend national sovereignty, security and territorial integrity,” ministry spokesman Wu Qian said. Taiwan is one of China’s most sensitive issues.