China urges US to sever military ties with Taiwan

Liu Jianchao, spokesman of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, solicits a question at the ministry's regular press briefing in Beijing December 21, 2004.

China urges the United States to stop developing its military relations with Taiwan, said Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Liu Jianchao Tuesday.

Liu made the remark on a regular press conference in response to a question on a report of the US appointment of a military liaison official to Taiwan.

The spokesman said the move taken by the United States to develop military ties with Taiwan, no matter with any excuse or by any means, infringes the principles set forth in three Sino-US joint communiques and encourages separatist activities in Taiwan.

The act will thus far sabotage the peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait and undermines the Sino-US relationship, he stressed.

China urges the US to honor its commitments, stop arms sales and military contacts with Taiwan so as to avoid undermining the common interests of China and the United States, said the spokesman.

The Taiwan authorities are trying to clinch an US$18 billion US weapons deal. The deal includes six Patriot PAC-3 anti-missile batteries, eight diesel-electric submarines and 12 P-3C Orion submarine-hunting aircraft.