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Beijing Opposes U.S. Weapons Transfers to Taiwan
(MENAFN) China on Tuesday doubled down on its opposition to American weapons transfers to Taiwan, as US President Donald Trump prepared to travel to Beijing for high-stakes talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping.
"China's firm opposition to US arms sales to China's Taiwan region is consistent and clear," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun told reporters in Beijing.
Trump signaled Monday his intention to raise the Taiwan arms issue directly with Xi during his Beijing visit this week. A bipartisan coalition of senators has separately pressed Trump to advance a long-delayed $14 billion weapons package for Taiwan that has languished at the State Department for months, according to The New York Times.
On the sidelines of the arms dispute, Guo offered a rare glimpse into the anticipated scope of the Trump-Xi summit, saying the two leaders would hold an "in-depth" exchange of views on China-US relations and other major issues concerning world peace and development.
Trump also indicated he intends to raise the imprisonment of Hong Kong's former media magnate Jimmy Lai — sentenced to 20 years in prison earlier this year — in his discussions with Xi. Guo responded curtly, stating China's position on the matter is "clear."
When pressed on whether Beijing might consider releasing Lai, Guo firmly closed the door: "Hong Kong affairs are China's internal affairs," adding: "China's central government firmly supports Hong Kong judicial authorities in performing their duty in accordance with the law."
Guo also hit back against fresh US Treasury Department sanctions targeting 12 individuals and entities accused of facilitating Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps in selling and shipping oil to China. The measures affect firms and officials operating across Iran, Hong Kong, the United Arab Emirates, and Oman.
Beijing firmly opposes "unilateral sanctions" not authorized by the UN Security Council or grounded in international law, Guo said, vowing that China will "firmly protect" the legitimate rights and interests of its businesses and citizens abroad.
Turning to the Middle East, Guo took a pointed swipe at Washington, arguing that the current "pressing priority" in the regional conflict is to "prevent, by all means, a relapse in fighting, rather than exploit the situation to throw mud at China."
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