Arms sale causes severe damage to overall China-U.S. cooperation

WASHINGTON, Jan. 30 (Xinhua) -- Ignoring repeated solemn representations made by China, the U.S. government on Friday notified Congress of its nearly 6.4 billion-U.S.-dollar arms sale package to Taiwan.

The sale is a wrong decision, which not only undermines China's national security interests and her national unification cause, but also once again hurts the national feelings of the Chinese people.

Moreover, it also will cause serious damage to the overall cooperation and relationship between China and the United States.

Frankly speaking, U.S. arms sales to Taiwan have become a chronic disease that has been disturbing China-U.S. ties for a long period of time.

In the August 17 Communique jointly issued by China and the United States in 1982, the U.S. said clearly it intended to gradually reduce the sale of arms to Taiwan both in quality and quantity, leading to a final termination of such sales.

Although those words are crystal clear, this time the U.S. once again stubbornly made a wrong decision to plan a new arms sale to Taiwan, seriously violating the principles of three Sino-U.S. joint communiques, especially those of the August 17 Communique.

Such an act violently interferes in China's internal affairs, seriously undermines China's national security and her national unification cause, and thus inevitably casts a shadow on China-U.S. relations.

The Taiwan issue is closely related to China's sovereignty and territorial integrity, her core national interests, and the national feelings of the 1.3 billion Chinese people.

The China-U.S. Joint Statement points out that "the fundamental principle of respect for each other's sovereignty and territorial integrity is at the core of the three Sino-U.S. joint communiques that guide China-U.S. relations.

"Neither side supports any attempt by any force to undermine this principle. The two sides agreed that respecting each other's core interests is extremely important to ensure steady progress in China-U.S. relations."

The words are still echoing but the U.S. government broke the promise and acted in a way that seriously undermines the core interests of China.

As a result, it is totally reasonable to suspect the sincerity of U.S. pledges on "respecting each other's core interests."

With efforts made by compatriots on both sides of the Taiwan Strait, recent years have witnessed more frequent cross-Strait dialogues and exchanges, and closer cross-Strait economic and trade relations.

The cross-Strait relationship has started to walk on a path of positive interaction.