China’s foreign minister warns of forceful countermeasures against US arms sales to Taiwan as military live-fire drills continue around the island.
BEIJING: China’s top diplomat has declared the country will “forcefully counter” large-scale US weapons sales to Taiwan.
Foreign Minister Wang Yi made the statement as China’s military began a second day of live-fire drills around the self-ruled island.
“In response to the continuous provocations by pro-independence forces in Taiwan and the large-scale US arms sales to Taiwan, we must of course, resolutely oppose and forcefully counter them,” Wang said in a speech in Beijing.
His comments followed a military announcement of “long-range live fire drills in the waters to the north of the Taiwan Island”.
China claims Taiwan as part of its sovereign territory and has not ruled out using force for unification.
Speaking at an annual international relations symposium, Wang added that any attempt to obstruct China’s unification “will inevitably end in failure”.
