Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Zhang Qiyue told a routine news briefing Tuesday afternoon in Beijing that the Chinese side has made a strong representation to the US on this issue.

China always opposes to arms sales to Taiwan by the United States, and holds that arms sales to Taiwan will seriously damage Sino-US relations.

The spokeswoman reiterates that arms sales to Taiwan constitute a serious infringement on China's sovereignty and a rude interference in China's internal affairs, and will heighten the cross-Straits tension and endanger the stability and peace of the Asia-Pacific region.

Zhang urged the United States to abide by the three China-US communiques so as to avoid causing further damages to the Sino-US relations.

The spokeswoman said China will closely follow the development of US arms sale to Taiwan.

News reports that US President George W. Bush decided on Monday to take the advice of Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld and Secretary of State Colin Powell and forgo sales of missile destroyers with advanced Aegis systems to Taiwan.

But Bush will endorse the sale of less sophisticated items, including four Kidd-class destroyers ready by 2003, 12 P-3C Orion aircraft, eight diesel submarines designed to counter blockades and invasions, Avenger surface-to-air missile system and submarine-launched and surface-launched torpedoes.

Reports say this will be one of the biggest packages of arms sales to Taiwan by the United States.

(Chinadaily.com.cn 04/24/2001)