China Condemns Taiwan-U.S. Weapons Deal

China's central government has responded negatively to a new weapons deal between the United States and the island of Taiwan. It also took aim at Taiwanese efforts to become a member state of the United Nations, viewing them as a serious move toward bringing about formal independence of the island.

According to a transcript released by China's government, the Foreign Ministry spokesman Liu Jianchao was asked a question on the U.S. Defense Department's announcement that it would sell "Patriot II" anti-missile systems and related equipment to the Taiwanese military for nearly one billion dollars. The spokesman responded that China is "firmly" against U.S. weapon sales to Taiwan. He accused the United States of interfering in the internal affairs of China and taking actions which threaten China's national security.

The Foreign Ministry spokesman went on to speak about moves to declare Taiwan as an independent nation. He referred to the Taiwanese leader's efforts to make Taiwan a U.N. member state as "obstinate" and stated that actions aimed at bringing about the secession of Taiwan "severely" endanger stability and peace. He called upon the United States to cease selling weapons to Taiwan, saying that China may take additional measures with regard to this issue.

According to the CIA World Factbook entry on Taiwan, which is also referred to as Chinese Taipei or the Republic of China, the island established a separate government from mainland China in 1949. It has a population of nearly twenty-three million people. Its major trading partners include Japan, China (including Hong Kong), and the U.S. It exports a variety of products, including metal, computers, plastic, and textile items. The factbook indicates that Taiwan is almost as large as the total size of Delaware and Maryland.

Wikipedia's page on Taiwan indicates that the island has limited remaining natural resources and some areas are heavily polluted. Taiwan does have a substantial amount of coal, and some fossil fuel deposits. The island was formerly a colony of Japan, and is located to the north of the Philippines. There are a number of mountains, as well as some flat areas. It also states that more than ninety-three percent of Taiwanese people adhere to Buddhism, Taoism, and Confucianism, while seven percent are Islamic, Christian, or follow other religions. Yet another name the island is known by is "Formosa."

Sources:
1. Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the People's Republic of China, http://www.fmprc.gov.cn/eng/xwfw/s2510/t380927.htm
2. CIA World Factbook, https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/tw.html
3. Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taiwan