China ‘outraged’ by $1.42 billion planned US arms sales to Taiwan

The United States is the sole arms supplier to Taiwan, which China deems its own.

China’s embassy to the United States urged Washington to immediately revoke its “wrong decision” and halt $1.42 billion worth of planned arms sales to Taiwan.

In this September 2015 file photo, Taiwan's military fire artillery from self-propelled Howitzers during the annual Han Kuang exercises in Hsinchu, north eastern Taiwan. The US State Department has approved arms sales to Taiwan worth a total of $1.4 billion, the first such deal with the self-governing island since President Donald Trump took office. (AP)

“The Chinese government and Chinese people have every right to be outraged,” the embassy said in a statement release late on Thursday, adding that the sale sends a very wrong message to “Taiwan independence” forces.

The United States is the sole arms supplier to Taiwan, which China deems its own. It has never renounced the use of force to bring the self-ruled island under its control.

US State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert on Thursday told reporters the administration had told Congress of seven proposed sales, the first such sale under the administration of Donald Trump.