China Threatens Retaliation If the US Sells Rp. 16 Trillion in Weapons to Taiwan

China has threatened retaliatory action if the United States realizes a US$1.1 billion arms sale to Taiwan.

"[We will take countermeasures as necessary," said a spokesman for the Chinese Embassy in the US, Liu Pengyu, in one of his tweets on Saturday (3/9).

Liu then warned that US arms sales would only send the wrong signal to "Taiwanese separatist forces."

He also stressed that the US must "honor its commitment to the One China principle."

The US itself actually recognizes Taiwan as part of China under the principle of "One China" which has always been echoed by the Bamboo Curtain country.

In the past, the US had never openly defended Taiwan. However, the US began to openly install an agency for Taiwan in 2018, when they signed the Taiwan Relations Act (TRA).

Under the TRA, the US can establish relations with the "Taiwanese people" and their government, without specifying the government in question.

In recent years, the US has assisted Taiwan in the process of rejuvenating its defense equipment. During the Trump presidency, the US agreed to provide the F-16V fighter jet, which is the latest and most advanced version of the F-16.

Now, the government of President Joe Biden is allowing the sale of Rp. 16.3 trillion of arms to Taiwan. The US State Department said military equipment sold to Taiwan consisted of weapons, anti-ship missiles and air missiles.