China strongly opposes US arms sales to Taiwan, lodges solemn protests: spokesperson

China expressed dissatisfaction and opposition on Sunday to the United States' approval of the latest arms sales to Taiwan region, vowing to take strong and resolute countermeasures to defend national sovereignty, security and territorial integrity.

The foreign ministry made the remarks in an online statement after the US Department of Defense announced that the US Department of State has approved a $385 million worth of arms sales to the region.

China has lodged serious protests to the US, and called on the US to immediately stop arming the island and stop abetting and supporting "Taiwan independence" separatist forces in seeking "Taiwan independence" by building up its military, the statement said.

The US arms sales to Taiwan region seriously violate the one-China principle and the three China-US joint communiques, especially the August 17 Communique of 1982, and also violate China's sovereignty and security interests, a spokesperson said in the statement.

The sales are a severe breach of the international law, which sent a gravely wrong signal to "Taiwan independence" separatist forces, and are detrimental to China-US relations as well as peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait, the spokesperson said.

The decision to sell arms to Taiwan region is simply inconsistent with US leaders' commitment of not supporting "Taiwan independence", the spokesperson added.