Beijing, Sept 19 (ANI): The United States' decision to sell arms to Taiwan is likely to damage Washington's relations with Beijing and could spark off a strong reaction from China, analysts have claimed.
The Obama administration was reportedly planning to formally notify Congress of a 4.2-billion dollars arms deal to Taiwan that would include an upgrade for the island's aging fleet of F-16 fighter jets.
China has already warned of severe consequences if the arms package goes ahead, the China Daily reports.
Zhou Tienong, vice-chairman of China's top legislature, said that an arms sale to Taiwan would not only hurt Sino-US relations and cross-Straits ties, but also the interests of the American people.
An article recently published on a financial news website claimed that Beijing would react fiercely if the Obama administration allows the arms sale.
Any sale would be a gross intervention in China's internal affairs and cast a shadow over Sino-US relations, the article said.
"If the sale went through a smokeless war on the economic front would occur between China and the US", it said.
Tao Wenzhao, a senior researcher at Tsinghua University, said that any arms sale that occurred 32 years after the normalization of China-US relations "is incompatible with the big picture".
"The (arms sale) hurts China's core interests. And to keep on doing the wrong thing for 30 years just doesn't make it right. The US said it supports peace and stability in cross-Straits relations there is no need to sell more arms to Taiwan," he added.
Meanwhile, the US has reportedly decided not to sell new F-16 fighter jets to Taiwan, but plans to upgrade that country's existing fleet.
The decision, which yet to be announced, has prompted criticism by Congressional staff members, who believe that America is buckling to pressure from China. (ANI)
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