China Upset Over 'Dangerous' US Weapons Package For Taiwan

China said on Tuesday it has complained to Washington over a package of weapons being sent to Taiwan.

It urged the United States to refrain from going further down a “wrong and dangerous” path.

The US announced a $345-million package of weapons for Taiwan on Friday, as Congress authorised up to $1 billion worth of weapons aid for the island as a part of the 2023 budget.

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‘Military collusion’ with Taipei

A spokesperson for China’s Defence ministry, Tan Kefei, said the US must stop all forms of “military collusion” with Taiwan.

“The Taiwan issue concerns China’s core interests and is a red line that cannot be crossed in China-US relations,” Tan said in a statement.

Beijing claims the democratically governed island as its own territory, and repeatedly warns against any forms of “official exchanges” between Washington and Taipei.

However, Taiwan rejects China’s sovereignty claims and says only Taiwan’s people can decide their future.

The United States, which is Taiwan’s most important arms supplier, is bound by law to provide it with the means to defend itself, despite the absence of formal diplomatic ties and the anger such weapons sales generate in Beijing.

The top US general said in July that the US and allies should speed up weapons delivery to Taiwan in coming years to help the island defend itself.

China’s military has also been flexing its muscles around the island, recently sending dozens of fighters, bombers and other aircraft including drones into the skies to Taiwan’s south, according to Taiwan’s defence ministry.

China’s People’s Liberation Army is paying close attention to the situation in the Taiwan Strait and is always on high alert, Tan said.