Taiwan Arms Sale, Sanctions Against Firms May Hit US-China Ties

Trump administration recently notified the Congress about its plan to sell Taiwan arms worth $1.42 billion.

(Photo: AP)

Recent US actions, including arms sales to Taiwan and imposing sanctions against some Chinese companies, will undermine bilateral relations and run counter to the spirit of the Florida summit between President Donald Trump and President Xi Jinping in April, China's ambassador to Washington said on Thursday.

Ambassador Cui Tiankai, speaking to reporters at an embassy reception in Washington, said:

And all these actions, sanctions against Chinese companies and especially arms sales to Taiwan, will certainly undermine the mutual confidence between the two sides and runs counter to the spirit of the Mar-a-Lago summit.

Ambassador Cui Tiankai

The United States, however, plans to sell Taiwan about $1.42 billion in arms, a proposal the Trump administration informed Congress about on Thursday, US State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert said.

"The administration had formally notified THE Congress of seven proposed defenCe sales for Taiwan. It's now valued about $1.42 billion," Nauert told reporters, saying the sales show US "support for Taiwan's ability to maintain a sufficient self-defence capability" and stressing that there was no change to the United States' long-standing "one China" policy.

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