BEIJING—China on Thursday denounced a decision by the United States to upgrade Taiwan’s F-16 fighter jets, summoning the US ambassador and warning that military ties and overall relations will suffer.
Despite the heated rhetoric, the impact on overall ties was expected to be slight, partly because Washington deferred a decision on whether to sell Taiwan a more advanced version of the plane that would have stirred far greater anger from Beijing.
China reacts strongly to all US military cooperation with the island, but previous threats to retaliate diplomatically or economically have come to nothing.
China is also preparing this autumn to send Vice President and assumed future leader Xi Jinping to Washington for a major profile-building visit. A significant rise in tensions could poison the atmosphere for such a trip, tarnishing Xi’s image as future leader of the world’s most populous nation and second-largest economy.
The Chinese Foreign Ministry said in a statement on its web site that Vice Minister Zhang Zhijun summoned US Ambassador Gary Locke in Beijing to deliver the protest.
“The wrongdoing by the US side will inevitably undermine bilateral relations, as well as exchanges and cooperation in military and security areas,” Zhang told Locke, according to the statement.
China regards the democratic island of 23 million people as part of its territory, and sees the arms sales as undermining China’s efforts to woo back Taiwan. The two sides split amid civil war in 1949.
Beijing’s anger comes even though the US decided not to sell Taiwan new F-16 fighter jets, as Taiwan and some in Congress had pushed for. Taiwan had long wanted 66 new F-16 C/Ds, but the deal permits it a series of upgrades on its existing fleet of F-16 A/Bs.
In Taipei Taiwan’s Foreign Ministry hailed the Obama administration for “responding to our request proactively by taking concrete actions to approve” the $5.85-billion package to upgrade the island’s F-16 fleet. In a statement late Wednesday night, the ministry said the package is “composed of many advanced systems.”
“We will continue to work closely with the United States to strengthen our national security and maintain the peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait,” it said.
Beijing temporarily suspended military exchanges with the US last year after the Obama administration notified Congress it was making $6.4 billion in weapons available to Taiwan, including missiles, Black Hawk helicopters, information distribution systems and two Osprey-Class Mine Hunting Ships.
Military exchanges are again considered the most likely target of China’s wrath, although Beijing could also cancel some symbolic meetings. Even then, the impact would likely be slight—China has long viewed defense contacts as a political bargaining chip and they have proceeded only sporadically over the past decade with frequent interruptions.
IN PHOTO -- aiwanese air force F-16 fighter jets fly in formation as they drop anti-missile deterrents during military exercises. China denounced a decision by the United States to retrofit Taiwan’s F-16 fighter jets, summoning the US ambassador and warning that military ties and overall relations will suffer. AP
