US attempts to use Taiwan to contain China will not succeed: spokesman

The United States should immediately cease its dangerous act of arming China's Taiwan region, and its attempts to use the Taiwan question to contain China will not succeed, Foreign Ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun said at a press briefing in Beijing on Thursday. Guo made the remarks when commenting on the U.S. announcement of arms sales worth around 11 billion U.S. dollars to the Taiwan region.

"The U.S. has blatantly announced a plan to sell a massive package of advanced weapons to Taiwan, which seriously violates the one-China principle and the three China-U.S. joint communiques, gravely undermines China's sovereignty, security and territorial integrity, severely disrupts peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait, and sends a dangerously wrong signal to separatist forces seeking secession. China firmly opposes and strongly condemns this move," he said.

"The separatist forces in the island seek secessionism through military buildup and prevent reunification by force, squandering the hard-earned money of the people on arms purchases and turning Taiwan into a powder keg. Such actions cannot save the doomed fate of Taiwan secessionism but will only accelerate the push of the Taiwan Strait toward the brink of conflict and danger. The U.S. attempt to support the secession by arming Taiwan will only backfire, and its scheme of using the Taiwan question to contain China will never succeed," the spokesman continued.

"The Taiwan question concerns the very core of China's core interests and is the first red line that must not be crossed in China-U.S. relations. No one should underestimate the firm resolve and strong capability of the Chinese government and the Chinese people to safeguard national sovereignty and territorial integrity. China urges the U.S. to strictly abide by the one-China principle and the three China-U.S. joint communiques, honor the solemn commitments made by U.S. leaders, and immediately stop the dangerous act of arming Taiwan. China will take resolute and forceful measures to defend its sovereignty, security and territorial integrity," Guo noted.

US attempts to use Taiwan to contain China will not succeed: spokesman

US attempts to use Taiwan to contain China will not succeed: spokesman

China hopes the European Union (EU) to restrain and show prudence in using restrictive tools in trade, said He Yadong, spokesman for the Ministry of Commerce, at a press conference in Beijing on Thursday.

"China always believes that China-Europe economic and trade relations are to complement each other's advantages, mutually beneficial, and win-win cooperation by nature. China-Europe economic and trade cooperation is the outcome of joint action of multiple factors, including industrial structure differences unique to each side's stages of economic development and changes in market demands," said He.

"We have noticed that the EU has constantly intensified restrictions on economic and trade with China in the recent time, and has launched 12 trade remedy investigations and 3 foreign subsidies investigations against China this year. It has also blocked multiple Chinese enterprises from participating in its member states' public procurement and greenfield investment. We hope that the EU will work with China to uphold the important consensus reached at the meetings between Chinese and EU leaders, jointly oppose trade protectionism, maintain open markets, restrain and remain prudent in using restrictive tools in trade, and provide a fair, transparent, non-discriminatory, and predictable business environment for Chinese enterprises to engage in trade and investment cooperation in Europe," said He.

China expects EU to restrain using restrictive tools in trade