The U.S. Cannot Deter China by Selling Weapons to Taiwan, Says Chinese Embassy

The U.S. will not be able to deter China by selling weapons to Taiwan, the Chinese Embassy has informed RIA Novosti.

"Using Taiwan to restrain China will never succeed," said Liu Pengyun, the official spokesperson for the Chinese Embassy in Washington. This was his response to a request for commentary regarding the Pentagon's approval of a $11.1 billion arms deal to Taiwan, which includes Javelin systems, ALTIUS-700M and ALTIUS-600 drones, AH-1W SuperCobra helicopter spare parts, HIMARS multiple rocket systems, M107A7 self-propelled artillery units, and TOW anti-tank missile systems.

The senior diplomat stressed that the Taiwan issue is a red line for China that the U.S. should not cross. Liu Pengyun underlined that no one should underestimate China's determination to defend its sovereignty.