China urges US to block approval of Taiwan-related bill

BEIJING - China on Thursday urged the United States to block congressional approval of a Taiwan-related bill.

The US House of Representatives passed a bill this week reaffirming the importance of the "Taiwan Relations Act" and called on the Obama administration to sell Perry-class frigates to Taiwan.

The so-called "Taiwan Relations Act" is unilaterally formulated by the United States and runs counter to the three China-US joint communiques, Foreign Ministry spokesman Hong Lei said at a daily news briefing.

The US arms sales to Taiwan interfere in China's internal affairs and violate the three China-US joint communiques, particularly the principles specified in the August 17 Communique signed in 1982, under which the United States agreed to gradually reduce arms sales to Taiwan, Hong said.

He said China's opposition has been consistent and clear.

"We urge the US congress to stop the bill and US authorities to take measures to block approval to avoid damaging China-US relations and the peaceful development of relations across the Taiwan Strait," the spokesman said.