Taiwan to ‘Strengthen Cooperation’ with US for Deterrence

Taiwan vowed on Tuesday to “strengthen cooperation” with the United States, its main security backer, after President Donald Trump said US arms sales to the democratic island will be discussed during his trip to Beijing this week.

“We will also continue to strengthen cooperation with the US side and build effective deterrence capabilities in order to jointly maintain peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait,” Foreign Ministry spokesman Hsiao Kuang-wei told a regular briefing.

Meanwhile, China said it was opposed to US weapons sales to Taiwan. “China’s opposition to the United States’ sale of weapons to China’s Taiwan region is consistent and clear,” Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun said after Taiwan’s briefing. (AFP)