{"id":111542,"date":"2018-08-14T20:32:13","date_gmt":"2018-08-14T20:32:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/militarytimes\/uncategorized\/2018\/08\/14\/china-blasts-us-military-bill-as-interference-in-its-affairs\/"},"modified":"2026-08-08T13:07:20","modified_gmt":"2026-08-08T13:07:20","slug":"china-blasts-us-military-bill-as-interference-in-its-affairs","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/militarytimes\/news\/pentagon-congress\/2018\/08\/14\/china-blasts-us-military-bill-as-interference-in-its-affairs\/","title":{"rendered":"China blasts US military bill as interference in its affairs"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

BEIJING \u2014 China on Tuesday blasted a U.S. military spending bill that calls for development of plans to help self-ruled Taiwan improve its defenses and warned of possible damage to cooperation<\/a> in other areas.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The provision in the 2019 military budget authorization<\/a> \u201cis full of cold war thinking\u201d and \u201cinterferes in China\u2019s internal affairs<\/a>,\u201d said a Ministry of Defense statement. It said the measure \u201cruins the atmosphere\u201d for military cooperation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Beijing claims Taiwan, which split with the mainland in 1949, as part of its territory and has threatened to invade. Washington has no official relations with the island’s democratically elected government but is obliged by U.S. law to see that it has the means necessary to defend itself.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Taiwan is “the most important and sensitive core issue in Chinese-U.S. relations,” said the Defense Ministry statement. “We firmly oppose any official exchanges and military contacts between any country and Taiwan.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A separate Foreign Ministry statement called on Washington to “avoid damaging Chinese-U.S. relations and cooperation in important areas.” It gave no details but the two governments are working together on efforts to persuade North Korean leader Kim Jong Un to give up nuclear weapons development.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Beijing has stepped up efforts to isolate Taiwan internationally. It has ordered airlines, retailers and publishers to refer to the island as part of China on websites and in books and maps. It is lobbying the few countries that still recognize Taipei as a sovereign government to switch ties to Beijing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The criticism adds to a series of U.S.-Chinese conflicts over tariffs, Beijing’s claims to the South China Sea and other irritants that have soured relations between governments of the world’s two biggest economies.<\/p>\n\n\n\t