Washington - China's decision to reduce contacts with the
United States over weapons sales to Taiwan is 'unfortunate', the US
State Department said Tuesday, while pledging to continue working
with Beijing.
'It's an unfortunate decision that the Chinese have taken,' deputy
spokesman Robert Wood said.
China strongly opposed the plans announced last week to sell 6.4
billion dollars in arms to Taiwan, and said US-Chinese military
relations would be 'poisoned' over the deal.
'The United States ignored the opposition of China to sell
military arms to Taiwan, which poisoned the Sino-US relationship and
also harmed the sound atmosphere between the two militaries,' Chinese
Foreign Ministry spokesman Qin Gang said in Beijing Tuesday.
The arms package includes components for upgrading E-2 Hawkeye
early-warning aircraft, 30 Apache attack helicopters, the PAC-3 short
range missile-defence system, 32 Harpoon missiles, spare parts for
F16A/B, F5E/5F and C-130 aircraft as well as 182 Javelin anti-tank
missiles.
The United States has sold weapons and military equipment to
Taiwan even after reversing policy and recognizing China in 1979. The
United States has aided Taiwanese defences to help fend off any
attempts by Beijing to retake the island by military force.
China regards Taiwan as a rogue province and US support for it has
been a source of tension between the two countries. Wood said China
has informed Washington that some bilateral contacts could be severed
but he did not offer details.
'They have basically informed us that some US-Chinese bilateral
... events, activities, may be affected,' he said.
Republican presidential candidate John McCain welcomed the Bush
administration's decision that came after more than a one-year delay.
But McCain also criticized the exclusion of fighter jets and
submarines.
'The administration has refrained from providing all of the
elements requested by Taiwan for its legitimate security
requirements,' McCain said.
USA
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