TAIPEI (Taiwan News) – China condemned the US on Monday (Dec. 2) for approving an arms package to Taiwan and permitting Lai Ching-te (賴清德) to transit through its territory.

The Chinese foreign ministry called on the US to "cease all official interactions with Taiwan and stop sending erroneous signals to ‘Taiwan independence’ separatist forces.”

Lai is on a tour of Taiwan’s South Pacific allies. He will stop in Hawaii, then visit the Marshall Islands and Tuvalu. He will later transit through Guam before visiting Palau. 

The president said his trip from Nov. 30 to Dec. 6 focuses on smart sustainability, sustainable democracy, and sustainable diplomacy.

Taiwan will continue expanding partnerships and demonstrate to the world that it is not only a model of democracy but also a crucial force for global peace, stability, and prosperity, Lai said last week.

Beijing opposes any form of official interaction between the US and Taiwan and Taiwan leaders visiting the US, the ministry said. It urged the US to adhere to the “one-China” principle and the three China-US joint communiques.

China is expected to use Lai’s trip as a pretext to conduct its Joint Sword-2024C exercise near Taiwan, according to Reuters.

The ministry also blasted the US for a potential sale of F-16 spare parts and mobile subscriber equipment to Taiwan, costing NT$12.5 billion (US$385 million). The additional equipment will boost wartime equipment stockpiles and enhance air defense resilience, Institute for National Defense and Security Research Director Su Tzu-yun (蘇紫雲) said recently.

Such actions “undermine China-US relations and harm peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait,” it said. The ministry urged the US to “immediately cease arming Taiwan.”