A Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson said on August 2 that China strongly deplores and firmly rejects U.S. provision of military aid for China's Taiwan region and has made serious démarches to the U.S. side.

"U.S. provision of military aid for China's Taiwan region seriously violates the one-China principle and the stipulations of the three China-U.S. joint communiqués, especially the August 17 Communiqué," the spokesperson said when asked to comment that the White House website recently announced that the United States will provide around $345 million in military aid for China's Taiwan region.

The spokesperson said that such moves seriously undermine China's sovereignty and security interests, and harm China-U.S. relations and peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait. China strongly deplores and firmly rejects this and has made serious démarches to the U.S. side.

Noting that the Taiwan question is the very core of China's core interests and the first red line that must not be crossed in the China-U.S. relationship, the spokesperson said that China urges the United States to earnestly abide by the one-China principle and the three China-U.S. joint communiqués, stop enhancing military contact with the Taiwan region or arming it by any means or under whatever pretext, stop creating factors that could heighten tensions in the Taiwan Strait, and stop conniving at and supporting the separatists' attempt to seek "Taiwan independence" by force.

"No one should underestimate the determination, resolve and capability of the Chinese people in safeguarding our sovereignty and territorial integrity," the spokesperson added.