Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian condemned a US package of arms sales to Taiwan worth up to $11 billion, announced by the United States, stating it grossly violates the one-China principle and three China-US joint communiques, according to statements posted on X between 2:16 p.m. and 4:17 p.m. UTC on Dec. 18, 2025. Lin Jian said the sales infringe on China's sovereignty, security, and territorial integrity, undermine peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait, and send a wrong signal to Taiwan independence separatist forces. He emphasized that the Taiwan question is at the core of China's core interests and the first red line in China-US relations, adding that no one shall underestimate China's will and capability to safeguard national sovereignty. In a related statement on X during the same period, Lin Jian criticized Taiwan independence forces for using force to seek independence, rejecting reunification, and squandering public funds on weapons, which he said turns Taiwan into a powder keg and accelerates conflict in the Taiwan Strait. The statements follow Taiwan's Ministry of National Defense report earlier on Dec. 18 of detecting 40 People's Liberation Army aircraft sorties and eight vessels around the island until 6 a.m. local time, with 26 aircraft crossing the median line into Taiwan's air defense identification zones.
