China criticizes US defense spending for including Taiwan

Beijing has railed against an annual US defense spending drive for exaggerating the “China threat,” while Taiwan, by contrast, has embraced it, saying it shows Washington’s support for the independent island it says Chinese officials should pass into his hands.

“China deplores and strongly opposes this move by the United States,” the foreign ministry said in a statement released on Saturday, saying the move constitutes a serious political provocation that openly meddles in the country’s internal affairs.

In Washington, President Joe Biden signed off on the $858 billion defense initiative on Friday.

The measure includes $45 billion more than Biden requested as lawmakers seek to curb inflation and bolster the country’s military capability against China and Russia.

The bill rejected mandatory vaccination against COVID-19 among US troops.

For the Indo-Pacific region, the measure authorizes increased security cooperation with Taiwan and provides for increased collaboration with India on emerging technologies, defense readiness and logistics.

Taiwan’s Foreign Ministry thanked the US Congress in a statement for showing the great importance it attaches to Taiwan-US relations and strengthening Taiwan’s security.

China rejects US support for Taiwan, an island of 23 million people off its east coast. China and Taiwan separated during the civil war when the Communists took power in 1949 in the Asian giant.

The Chinese Foreign Ministry said in its statement that the US defense bill seriously undermines peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait.

China staged large-scale military exercises around Taiwan in August after US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi visited the island.

The Chinese military sent 39 aircraft and three ships to Taiwan earlier this week in a relatively large show of force.

Source: AP