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China takes swipe at US

Posted on: Wed February 03, 2010

BEIJING: China on Tuesday warned President Barack Obama not to meet the Dalai Lama and threatened diplomatic reprisals over US arms sales to Taiwan, widening an escalating feud between the world s top powers.

Beijing s tough rhetoric piled pressure on a crucial relationship already severely strained over Google s threat to halt operations in China, which sparked a row over Internet freedom, and a host of trade and currency disputes.

China and the United States are working together on several pressing international disputes, including fraught negotiations aiming to curb the nuclear ambitions of North Korea and Iran.

But Beijing hinted on Tuesday that it may no longer be willing to play by US rules on such key foreign policy issues, and blamed Washington for any negative consequences.     China-US relations, in important international and regional issues, will inevitably be influenced (by the Taiwan deal) and the responsibility completely lies with the United States, foreign ministry spokesman Ma Zhaoxu said.    

Ma also called on US companies selling arms to Taiwancorporate giants like Boeing, Lockheed Martin and Raytheonto back away from the arms deal, after earlier warning that Beijing could impose sanctions.    

US Deputy Undersecretary of the Air Force Bruce Lemkin offered Washington s first reaction, calling the Chinese broadside unfortunate.     

 This is a policy decision based on principle, and based on our commitment in the Taiwan Relations Act, he told reporters on the sidelines of the Singapore Airshow.    

China is now the largest holder of US government debt, and some analysts have suggested that its economic clout has emboldened leaders of the world s most populous nation to take on Washington in a more forceful way.

On Tibet, Beijing reiterated its long-standing opposition to any meeting between Obama and the Dalai Lama, who is accused by China of fomenting separatist dissent in his Himalayan homeland.    

Such a meeting would seriously undermine the political foundation of Sino-US relations, Zhu Weiqun, executive vice minister of the Communist Party body that handles contact with the Dalai Lama, told a news conference.    

 If the US leader chooses to meet with the Dalai Lama at this time, it will certainly threaten trust and cooperation between China and the United States, Zhu said.    

 We oppose any attempt by foreign forces to interfere in China s internal affairs using the Dalai Lama as an excuse, he added.

Courtesy : The News