Foreign companies supplying weapons to Taiwan are infringing the sovereignty and territorial integrity of China and will meet the "resolute opposition of the Chinese people", Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Hong Lei said on Thursday, after the U.S. signed deals with Taiwan.
"Whoever engages or participates in activities or actions that harm China's sovereignty and territorial integrity will certainly encounter the resolute opposition of the Chinese people," Hong said.
The U.S. administration decided on Wednesday to sell weapons worth $5.85 billion to Taiwan. However, the U.S. canceled its previous decision to sell Lockheed Martin F-16C/D fighter jets to Taiwan, saying it would instead upgrade Taiwan's existing older model F-16 fighters.
The U.S. offer will "create serious obstacles to the development of ordinary exchanges between our two militaries," Defense Ministry Senior spokesman Colonel Geng Yansheng said on the ministry's website.
"The Chinese military expresses its utmost indignation and strong condemnation of this action that gravely interferes in China's domestic affairs and damages China's sovereignty and national security interests," Geng said.
China says the deal contravenes three U.S.-Chinese communiques, including a August 17, 1972 joint statement in which Washington said it would gradually reduce its arms sales to Taiwan, which Beijing considers a renegade region which should be reunited with the mainland.
