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Wan LixinOpinion deputy editor of Shanghai Daily
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Taiwan deal 'hurts national security'
Source: Agencies/Shanghai Daily |
February 1, 2010, Monday
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Print Edition
Print Edition
FOREIGN Minister Yang Jiechi says US arms sales to Taiwan hurt China's national security, the latest and most senior official to denounce the arms plan the United States announced last Friday.
Yang, who is in Cyprus, said China and the US had held many discussions about the arms sales, but Washington had ignored Beijing's demand they be stopped, Xinhua news agency reported yesterday.
The US should "truly respect China's core interests and major concerns, and immediately rescind the mistaken decision in order to avoid damaging broader China-US relations," the foreign minister said.
Yang said the US move harmed China's national security and peaceful reunification efforts.
Reflecting the intense emotions over the issue, Chinese Internet users have vented anger with calls to boycott top US exporter Boeing and other firms involved in the sales.
The Chinese government has for years opposed US arms sales to Taiwan. For the first time, however, China is seeking to punish those US companies whose arms are involved in the US$6.4 billion Taiwan deal.
China said it would impose unspecified sanctions on the companies and reduce international cooperation with the US unless it canceled the arms package.
It planned to postpone or partially halt some military cooperation, including a series of visits due this year, among them US Defence Secretary Robert Gates's planned trip to China, meetings between top military commanders, and mutual visits by naval ships, Xinhua reported on Saturday.
"Especially at a time when the world has yet to escape the financial crisis, and also faces global problems such as climate change, food security and nuclear non-proliferation, it is not in US interests for China-US relations to experience setbacks," Xinhua said.
US officials sought to downplay the dispute.
"We regret that the Chinese government has announced that it plans to curtail military-to-military and other security-related exchanges and take action against US firms," Reuters news agency quoted PJ Crowley, the State Department's chief spokesman, as saying.
"We believe our policy contributes to stability and security in the region," he said.
The arms sales, subject to congressional review, include Black Hawk utility helicopters built by United Technologies Corp's Sikorsky Aircraft; Lockheed Martin Corp-built and Raytheon Co-integrated Patriot missile defenses; and Harpoon land and sea-attack missiles built by Boeing Co, according to Reuters.
Boeing has major commercial interests in China, the world's most populous market, including commercial aircraft sales. United Technologies also has significant business in China, where it sells Carrier-brand heating and air-conditioning, Otis elevators and escalators and other products.
The other American arms makers appear to have less China exposure.
Yang, who is in Cyprus, said China and the US had held many discussions about the arms sales, but Washington had ignored Beijing's demand they be stopped, Xinhua news agency reported yesterday.
The US should "truly respect China's core interests and major concerns, and immediately rescind the mistaken decision in order to avoid damaging broader China-US relations," the foreign minister said.
Yang said the US move harmed China's national security and peaceful reunification efforts.
Reflecting the intense emotions over the issue, Chinese Internet users have vented anger with calls to boycott top US exporter Boeing and other firms involved in the sales.
The Chinese government has for years opposed US arms sales to Taiwan. For the first time, however, China is seeking to punish those US companies whose arms are involved in the US$6.4 billion Taiwan deal.
China said it would impose unspecified sanctions on the companies and reduce international cooperation with the US unless it canceled the arms package.
It planned to postpone or partially halt some military cooperation, including a series of visits due this year, among them US Defence Secretary Robert Gates's planned trip to China, meetings between top military commanders, and mutual visits by naval ships, Xinhua reported on Saturday.
"Especially at a time when the world has yet to escape the financial crisis, and also faces global problems such as climate change, food security and nuclear non-proliferation, it is not in US interests for China-US relations to experience setbacks," Xinhua said.
US officials sought to downplay the dispute.
"We regret that the Chinese government has announced that it plans to curtail military-to-military and other security-related exchanges and take action against US firms," Reuters news agency quoted PJ Crowley, the State Department's chief spokesman, as saying.
"We believe our policy contributes to stability and security in the region," he said.
The arms sales, subject to congressional review, include Black Hawk utility helicopters built by United Technologies Corp's Sikorsky Aircraft; Lockheed Martin Corp-built and Raytheon Co-integrated Patriot missile defenses; and Harpoon land and sea-attack missiles built by Boeing Co, according to Reuters.
Boeing has major commercial interests in China, the world's most populous market, including commercial aircraft sales. United Technologies also has significant business in China, where it sells Carrier-brand heating and air-conditioning, Otis elevators and escalators and other products.
The other American arms makers appear to have less China exposure.
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