China urges U.S. caution over Taiwan arms sales

Chinese Ministry of Defense spokesman Jiang Bin urged the United States to exercise "exceptional caution" over arms sales to the Chinese region of Taiwan, speaking ahead of the planned summit in Washington between U.S. President Donald Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping. Jiang made the remark at a press conference as both sides prepare for high-level talks.

Background on the arms packages

Jiang said military ties between the United States and China should remain stable, healthy and sustainable, and he described the Taiwan question as "the most important issue" in bilateral relations, saying that preserving peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait is their shared priority.

He added: "We hope the American side will approach the Taiwan issue with exceptional caution."

The U.S. administration approved an $11 billion arms package for Taiwan in December — the largest such package to date — while another package worth about $14 billion has been waiting for months.

People familiar with the matter expect Xi to ask Trump during the Washington visit to halt arms sales to the region. After meeting Xi in Beijing in May, Trump said he was delaying the second package and called it "a very good bargaining chip."

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio yesterday, speaking about arms sales to Taiwan, said the administration must take broader needs into account. The statements underline the sensitive balance the two powers must strike ahead of their summit in Washington.

Photo: press material from the event