US arms sales threaten peace in Taiwan Strait: China

BEIJING (AFP) - China confirmed Tuesday it had curtailed military exchanges with the United States over a proposed US arms package to Taiwan, saying the plan was a threat to peace in the region.

“It is US arms sales to Taiwan that disturb the peaceful development of cross-strait relations and undermine peace and stability across the Taiwan strait,” foreign ministry spokesman Qin Gang told journalists.

“This has contaminated the sound atmosphere for (China-US) military relations, gravely jeopardised China’s national security and undermined China’s interests.” Qin said the proposed arms sales “created obstacles” for planned bilateral military exchanges with the United States, but he was unable to say which specific plans had been cancelled.