China’s Ministry of National Defense expressed strong opposition to a $330 million arms sale to Taiwan approved by the United States, calling the move a serious violation of China’s sovereignty and a threat to regional stability.

The sale, announced last Thursday by the US Defense Security Cooperation Agency, includes non-standard spare and repair parts and related equipment.

Zhang Xiaogang, spokesperson for China’s defense ministry, criticized the US action for interfering in China’s internal affairs and undermining the one-China principle and the three China-US joint communiqués. “We express strong dissatisfaction and firm opposition, and have lodged stern representations with the US side,” Zhang said.

He warned that supporting Taiwan separatists through arms transfers will backfire and reiterated that any attempt to use Taiwan to contain China is “doomed to fail.” Zhang also urged Washington to immediately halt arms sales to Taiwan to avoid further damage to China-US relations and military ties.

Zhang additionally addressed Taiwan’s Democratic Progressive Party authorities, cautioning that spending public funds on weapons is a dead end. He stated that efforts to pursue independence or resist reunification by force would inevitably fail.

“We will take all necessary measures to firmly safeguard national sovereignty and territorial integrity,” Zhang said.

The announcement underscores heightened tensions across the Taiwan Strait amid ongoing US arms support for Taipei and China’s increasingly assertive military stance. (ILKHA)