China has criticised the passage of a US defence bill by the US House of Representativesm, which approved a 383-billion-dollar defence spend, saying it violates its sovereignty and is a case of the US interfering in its internal affairs.
The bill contains provisions for joint military training between the United States and Taiwan. China Central Television (CCTV) quoted China's foreign ministry spokesman Kong Quan as saying Beijing expresses "strong dissatisfaction" and "firm opposition" to the US House of Representatives' passage of the bill, which it said ignored repeated solemn representations by China.
Warning the bill could damage Sino-US relations, Quan said the provisions constituted an infringement of Chinese sovereignty and intervention in its domestic affairs, which he said was unacceptable to the Chinese government and people.
"China urges the US government to realise the possible serious consequences of the anti-China provisions and adopt effective measures to prevent them from being made into law, lest it cause serious damage to Sino-U.S. relations," he said.
China considers Taiwan, which split from the mainland at the end of a civil war in 1949, an inseparable part of China and has threatened to use force to achieve reunification if the island formally declares independence.
It has repeatedly protested against US arms sales to the island Taiwan, military contacts, and visits by Taiwanese officials to the United States.
The 50-billion-dollar increase in the defence spending budget is the most significant since the time of former president Ronald Reagan's administration 20 years ago.
AFP