© Pichi Chuang / ReutersTaiwan Air Force's F-16 fighter jets.
The Chinese people "have every right to be outraged" by the new $1.4 billion US arms deal with Taiwan, Beijing has said, arguing that the sale means the Trump administration is contradicting earlier statements on maintaining peace in the region.
Washington has made the "wrong decision to sell arms to Taiwan in disregard of China's strong representations," reads a
statement released on Friday by the Chinese embassy in the US.
On top of violating several joint communiques, the deal "grossly interferes [in] China's domestic affairs, jeopardizes China's sovereign and security interest and undermines China's efforts to realize national unification," the embassy says. "The Chinese government and Chinese people have every right to be outraged," it adds.
"And all these actions - sanctions against Chinese companies and especially arms sales to Taiwan - will certainly undermine the mutual confidence between the two sides and runs counter to the spirit of the Mar-a-Lago summit," said Ambassador Cui Tiankai, speaking to reporters at an embassy reception in Washington.
Comment: How will Israel respond once the 'rebels' are eliminated from the Golan Heights area?