U.S., China lock horns

The Pentagon Friday sparked the latest challenge to China-U.S. relations under President Barack Obama when it approved the US$6.4 billion sale of Patriot missiles, Black Hawk helicopters, mine-hunting ships and other weaponry.

China responded furiously with a raft of reprisals, saying it would suspend military and security contacts with Washington and impose sanctions on U.S. firms involved in the deal.

Beijing warned of “severe harm” to relations.

The Pentagon expressed “regret” over the bitter response, which reflected a rapid souring of relations with the United States amid strains over trade, climate change and China's Internet controls.

U.S. State Department spokeswoman Laura Tischler told AFP the sale “contributes to maintaining security and stability across the Taiwan Strait”, a viewed echoed by Taiwan President Ma Ying-jeou.

“It will let Taiwan feel more confident and secure so we can have more interactions with China,” Ma, who has overseen a historic warming in relations with China, was quoted as saying by Taiwan's Central News Agency.

But China's Taiwan Affairs Office, which handles relations with the island, rejected that view as “totally untenable”.

“The planned U.S. arms sale sends the wrong signal to Taiwan and will only encourage the arrogance of Taiwan independence forces and hinder the peaceful development of cross-strait ties,” an anonymous official with the office was quoted saying by the state-run Xinhua news agency.

In an official diplomatic protest, China said the row would endanger cooperation with the United States on “key international and regional issues”.

It did not elaborate, but the comment comes as Washington seeks Beijing's help curbing the nuclear programmes of Iran and China's ally North Korea.

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