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Scrap arms deal: Qian
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VICE-PREMIER Qian Qichen asked the United States to deal with arms sales to Taiwan cautiously and expressed strong reservations about the US plan for a theatre missile defence shield that could be extended to cover the island.
During the meeting with US Secretary of State Colin Powell on Wednesday, Qian indicated that the US arms sales violate the three joint communiqués between the Chinese and US governments that led to the establishment of diplomatic ties. In the communiqués, the United States promised to phase out arms sales to Taiwan.
Being a tricky issue of Qian's visit, the US arms sales to Taiwan has been widely seen as the biggest danger to the bilateral relations. It is reported that Taiwan expected Washington to agree to new arms sales, including destroyers equipped with powerful Lockheed Martin Aegis combat system.
Powell said on Wednesday that the new US administration will continue to abide by the three communiqués, noting its China policy does not change, according to Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Zhang Qiyue.
The New York Times said in an editorial on Wednesday that if the new US administration sells advanced weapons to Taiwan, it could severely hurt US-China relations.
The Times urged the Bush Administration to stand firm against Republican conservatives in their demand for sales to Taiwan of four Aegis-equipped destroyers.
(SD-Agencies)
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