BEIJING - The Ministry of National Defense on Wednesday urged the United States to abide by the three Sino-US joint communiques and end arms sales to Taiwan to avoid harming bilateral military ties.

"US arms sales to Taiwan severely damage China's core interests, and our stance on this issue has been consistent and clear," ministry spokesman Geng Yansheng said at a news conference.

Geng's remarks came amid reports that an amendment to a budget bill urging the US to sell F-16C/D aircraft and diesel-electric submarines to Taiwan was approved by a voice vote in the House of Representatives Foreign Affairs Committee. US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton recently announced that President Barack Obama would make a decision by Oct 1 on whether he would sell the fighters.

Mike Mullen, chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff, who visited China earlier this month, has argued that the US has a "legal responsibility" to Taiwan, though he said he didn't want the sales to disrupt the two countries' military ties.

Commenting on Mullen's visit, Geng said it shows that the two countries share a lot in common in promoting the healthy, stable and reliable development of military-to-military relations as well as safeguarding international and regional peace. But he admitted that the two militaries still have differences that hinder healthy bilateral ties, particularly the three major obstacles - Taiwan arms sales, frequent reconnaissance by US naval ships and aircraft in the waters and airspace of China's exclusive economic zones, and the restrictions imposed by some US domestic laws on exchanges and technical cooperation between the two countries' militaries.

"(But) it is normal that the two countries have differences. The point is to manage the differences, and not do things that will harm bilateral ties. China is willing to improve the relationship on the basis of respect, mutual trust, equality and reciprocity," he added.

China has reiterated on many occasions that the US should stop arms sales to Taiwan. In 2010, Beijing suspended most military dialogues with Washington after the Obama administration's planned arms deal with Taiwan. Relations were renewed this year through visits to Beijing by former US secretary of defense Robert Gates and Mullen as well as the visit by Chen Bingde, chief of the General Staff of the People's Liberation Army, to the US.

Wang Yi, director of the State Council's Taiwan Affairs Office, was scheduled to visit the US from Wednesday to Saturday, according to a statement released by his office. Wang is expected to meet officials from the White House, the State Department and congressmen.

Wang will also hold talks with scholars from US think tanks and meet Taiwan compatriots living in the US, the statement said. The statement did not provide further details on the meetings.

China Daily

(China Daily 07/28/2011 page11)