China Warns Of ‘Counter-Measures’ After Biden Approves $1.1bn Arms Sales To Taiwan

China is “firmly opposed” to the Biden administration’s approval of more than $1.1 billion in arms sales to Taiwan, and says to expect “counter-measures” in response.

Chinese embassy spokesman Liu Pengyu said on Saturday that the sales “severely jeopardize China-US relations and peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait,” and has called on Washington to “immediately revoke” them.

Full statement (via Twitter):

#Taiwan is an inalienable part of the #Chinese territory. The United States interferes in #China’s internal affairs and undermines China’s sovereignty and security interests by selling arms to the Taiwan region. It runs counter to international law and basic principles in international relations, and violates the one-China principle and provisions of the three China-US joint communiques, especially the August 17 Communique.

It sends wrong signals to “Taiwan independence” separatist forces, and severely jeopardizes China-US relations and peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait. China is firmly opposed to this.China urges the US side to honor its commitment, earnestly abide by the one-China principle and the three China-US joint communiques,stop arms sales to and military interactions with Taiwan, and immediately revoke relevant arms sales to Taiwan, lest it should cause more damages to China-US relations and peace and stability across the #TaiwanStrait.

China will resolutely take legitimate and necessary counter-measures in light of the development of the situation.

Paging John Cena…

Tensions between Washington and Beijing have intensified since House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s visit last month, which China had warned against – and responded to by ordering military drills around the island nation after she had left.

On Saturday, Taiwan said it “highly welcomes” the arms, and thanked the Biden administration for “continuing to implement its security commitments to Taiwan.”

“In response to China’s recent continuous military provocations and unilateral changes in the status quo and creating crises, Taiwan’s determination to defend itself is extremely firm,” Taiwan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement, adding “This batch of arms sales includes a large number of various types of missiles that are needed to strengthen Taiwan’s self-defense, which fully demonstrates that the great importance the US government attaches to Taiwan’s defense needs, assisting our country to obtain the equipment needed for defense in a timely manner and to enhance our national defense capabilities.”

On Thursday, Taiwan’s military shot down a drone near one of its island outposts near the Chinese coast, which happened just one day after Taiwan was able to repel drones hovering over three of the islands it occupies near the Chinese port city of Xiamen.