China to US: Cancel Taiwan Arms Deal

China is harshly denouncing a US arms deal with Taiwan announced yesterday, calling for the US ambassador to China to protest the deal and warning that it will harm US-China ties if it is not canceled. The Obama administration notified Congress of the $5.8 billion plan yesterday; it would upgrade Taiwan’s 145 aging F-16 fighter jets but would not, for now, allow the island to buy the 66 additional F-16s it requested.

“The wrongdoing by the US side will inevitably undermine bilateral relations as well as exchanges and cooperation in military and security areas,” China’s vice foreign minister reportedly told the US ambassador, according to the state news agency. China’s ambassador to the US also reportedly protested the move. But no specific retaliatory measures were announced, and some experts tell the Washington Post that the US-China relationship will only see a minor impact and that military ties may not be affected at all, largely because of the choice not to sell Taiwan the new fighter jets. (More China stories.)