Beijing has lodged a solemn objection with Washington on its agreement to sell 66 advanced fighter jets to Taiwan, Foreign Ministry spokesman Liu Jianchao said in Beijing on Friday.

"We urged the US side to abide by the three joint communiques between China and the United States ... and not sell arms to the island to avoid damaging peace and stability across the Straits as well as Sino-US relations," Liu said in a statement.

A Taiwanese delegation proposed the procurement of the F-16C/D fighters during an annual military meeting with Washington earlier this month, the Taiwan-based China Times reported.

"The United States has given its nod to the sale of 66 F-16C/D Block 52s," the paper said, without naming a source.

It will be the biggest arms deal Washington has offered Taiwan since 2001, when US President George W. Bush agreed to provide the island with eight diesel-powered submarines, 12 P-3C submarine-hunting aircraft and an improved version of Patriot missiles, the paper said.

But in Washington, Bush reiterated on Thursday that the US position on the Taiwan question is very clear: that the US Government will continue to adhere to the three joint communiques between the United States and China and is opposed to any attempt to unilaterally change the status quo across the Taiwan Straits.

He made the remark when meeting Guo Boxiong, vice-chairman of the Central Military Commission, at the White House.

Guo is the highest ranking military officer from China to visit the United States since 2001. He is on a six-day visit that will end on Saturday.

At the meeting, Guo noted the current relationship between the two armed forces is the best in recent years, and the prospect will be brighter with joint efforts.

Bush said he actively supports closer ties between the two armed forces and would like to see more military exchanges and visits.

Deepening relationship between the two armed forces is "in the interest of peace and stability in East Asia and the world," he said.

During a separate meeting with Stephen Hadley, Bush's national security adviser, on Thursday, Guo expressed the hope the United States will properly handle the Taiwan question, stop upgrading its military ties with the island and halt sales of advanced weapons to it, so as not to send the wrong signal to secessionists there.

Source: China Daily/Xinhua