ThePoint丨Arming Taiwan is just like playing with fire

On December 21, the White House announced military assistance worth US$571.3 million to Taiwan. The US Department of Defense announced on the same day that the State Department has approved US$295 million worth of arms sales to Taiwan.

The US once again approved military assistance and arms sales to China’s Taiwan region. This seriously violates the one-China principle and the three China-US joint communiqués, especially the August 17 Communiqué of 1982, and China’s sovereignty and security interests. The decision is a severe breach of the US leaders’ commitment of not supporting"Taiwan independence",and sends a gravely wrong signal to “Taiwan independence” separatist forces. China strongly deplores and firmly opposes it and lodged serious protests at once with the US.

The Taiwan question is at the core of China’s core interests, and the first red line that cannot be crossed in China-US relations. To aid "Taiwan independence" by arming Taiwan is just like playing with fire and will get the US burned, and to use the Taiwan question to contain China is doomed to fail. China urges the US to immediately stop arming Taiwan and stop the dangerous moves that undermine peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait. We will take all measures necessary to firmly defend national sovereignty, security and territorial integrity.

12月21日，美国白宫宣布向台湾提供5.713亿美元军援。同日，美国国防部发布消息称，美国务院已批准总额2.95亿美元的对台军售。

中国外交部发言人表示，美国再次向中国台湾地区提供军援军售，严重违反一个中国原则和中美三个联合公报特别是“八·一七”公报规定，严重侵犯中国主权和安全利益，严重违背美方领导人不支持“台独”承诺，向“台独”分裂势力发出严重错误信号。中方强烈不满、坚决反对，已第一时间向美方提出严正交涉。

台湾问题是中国核心利益中的核心，是中美关系第一条不可逾越的红线。美方“以武助独”只会引火烧身，“以台制华”注定不会得逞。中方敦促美方立即停止武装台湾，停止破坏台海和平稳定的危险行径。中方将采取一切必要措施，坚定捍卫国家主权、安全和领土完整。

文丨羊城晚报记者 赵鹏漫画丨王云涛