Defense Ministry slams US arms sale

The Chinese Ministry of Defense on Friday said a United States arms sale to Taiwan "harms the military trust" between Beijing and Washington.

"We strongly protest and are resolutely opposed to the arms sale," ministry spokesman Huang Xueping said in a statement.

The US defense department announced the contract late on Wednesday, allowing US company Lockheed Martin Corp to sell an unspecified number of Patriot air defense missiles to the island.