China lashed out with a raft of reprisals Saturday after Washington announced a 6.4-billion-dollar arms package for Taiwan, escalating the biggest Sino-US crisis yet under President Barack Obama.
Berating the year-old Obama administration for “crude interference” in its affairs, China said it was suspending military and security contacts with the United States, and imposing sanctions on US firms involved in the Taiwan deal.
The furious riposte came a day after the Pentagon approved the sale of Patriot missiles, Black Hawk helicopters, mine-hunting ships and communications equipment for Taiwan’s F-16 fleet of fighter jets among other weaponry.
Chinese defence ministry spokesman Huang Xueping said the reprisals reflected the “severe harm” posed by the deal with Taiwan, which Beijing says is a part of its territory and must return to the mainland fold.
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