Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Lin Jian said China has decided to freeze dialogue with the United States on non-proliferation and arms control because of Washington’s sale of US military products to Taiwan.
“China has decided to suspend the next round of arms control and non-proliferation consultations with the United States,” Lin Jian said at a briefing.
The Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman emphasised that for a certain period of time the US continued to sell arms to the Taiwan administration despite China’s strong opposition and repeated negotiations. The diplomat also pointed to Washington’s direct responsibility for the suspension of the next round of consultations.
At the same time, the Chinese civil servant stressed that Beijing is ready to maintain the existing dialogue with Washington “on the basis of mutual respect, peaceful coexistence and mutually beneficial cooperation.” The diplomat stressed that the US is obliged to “respect China’s core interests and create the conditions necessary for dialogue and consultations between the two sides.”
Earlier, the Russian Defence Ministry said that the joint mission of the Chinese and Russian navies in the South China Sea had come to an end.