China Warns US on Taiwan Ahead of Trump-Xi Summit

China has again criticized US arms sales to Taiwan ahead of President Donald Trump’s summit with Chinese leader Xi Jinping in Beijing, urging Washington to honor its commitments under the One China policy.

Taiwan and US weapons sales to the island are expected to be among the main issues during two days of talks between Trump and Xi. Beijing regards democratically governed Taiwan as part of China, while the United States is legally required to provide Taipei with the means to defend itself despite having no formal diplomatic relations with the island.

In December, the Trump administration announced an $11bn weapons package for Taiwan, the largest ever.

Zhang Han, a spokesperson for China’s Taiwan Affairs Office, said Taiwan was an internal matter for China.

“We firmly oppose the United States engaging in any form of military ties with China’s Taiwan region, and firmly oppose the United States selling weapons to China’s Taiwan region. This position is consistent and unequivocal”, she said in Beijing.

Zhang added that Taiwan was the “core of China’s core interests” and said Washington’s previous commitments were “international obligations that the U.S. side is duty-bound to fulfil”.

The United States takes no official position on Taiwan’s sovereignty under Washington’s One China policy, but acknowledges, without accepting, Beijing’s position that the island is part of China.

China has never ruled out using force to bring Taiwan under its control, although it says its preferred option is peaceful reunification.

(reuters, bak)