Beijing, January 30: China announced Saturday that it would freeze the military exchange with United States, in response to US plans to sell arms to Taiwan, state media reported.
“China decided to suspend scheduled visits between the Chinese and US armed forces, in response to Washington’s plan to sell a package of arms worth about 6.4 billion US dollars to Taiwan,” the state run Xinhua news agency reported.
Earlier, Vice Vice Foreign Minister He Yafei said the move violated the three joint communiques between China and the United States, particularly one in 1982 in which the US pledged to “gradually to reduce its sale of arms to Taiwan.”
China temporarily cut off military ties with the United States after former president George W Bush’s administration put forth a similar weapons package in 2008.
The Chinese government considers Taiwan a rogue province and has threatened to retake it by force.
Despite switching diplomatic ties from Taipei to Beijing 30 years ago, the US has continued to supply arms to Taiwan.
–Agencies