Taiwan arms deal stirs outrage

China cancels set of events with US

WASHINGTON - China has abruptly canceled a series of military and diplomatic contacts with the United States to protest a planned $6.5 billion package of US arms sales to Taiwan, American officials said yesterday.

Beijing has notified the Defense Department that it will not go forward with several senior-level visits and other cooperative military-to-military plans, said Marine Major Stewart Upton, a department spokesman.

"In response to Friday's announcement of Taiwan arms sales, the People's Republic of China canceled or postponed several upcoming military-to-military exchanges," Upton said, adding that "China's continued politicization of our military relationship results in missed opportunities."

The Chinese action will not affect the country's participation with the United States in six-nation talks aimed at getting North Korea to give up its nuclear weapons or its participation in the international effort on Iran's nuclear program, US officials said.

But it does include the cancellation of an upcoming US visit by a senior Chinese general, other similar trips, several port calls by naval vessels, and the indefinite postponement of meetings on stopping the spread of weapons of mass destruction, the officials said.

"It's an unfortunate step," said deputy State Department spokesman Robert Wood.

Beijing is furious with the US decision to sell Taiwan the $6.5 billion package of advanced weaponry and military items, including guided missiles and attack helicopters.

China, which regards Taiwan as a renegade province, says the sales interfere with internal Chinese affairs and harms its national security.

"The Chinese government and the Chinese people strongly oppose and object to the US government's actions, which harm Chinese interests and Sino-US relations," its foreign ministry said in a statement Saturday, adding that US diplomats had been summoned to hear a strong protest.

China's ambassador to the United States, Zhou Wenzhong, was expected to register a similar protest about the arms sales with the State Department yesterday.

A Chinese Embassy spokesman in Washington said it would be "only natural" for the ambassador to lodge the protest.