Reuters reported, Tuesday, citing 5 informed sources as saying that the White House is pushing ahead with 3 deals to sell advanced weapons to Taiwan, while China has threatened retaliation.

The move, which comes before the US presidential elections on November 3, angered China, which considers Taiwan a breakaway province and pledges to reunify it with the mainland by force if necessary.

And media reports published last September stated that up to 7 major weapons systems are making their way in the US export process as the Donald Trump administration intensifies pressure on China.

The sources, who requested anonymity, said that the heads of the Senate Foreign Relations and Foreign Affairs Committee in the House of Representatives had received notifications that the State Department, which oversees arms sales abroad, had approved three of the planned deals.

A State Department spokesman said: "As a general policy, the United States does not confirm or comment on proposed defense deals or transfers, before formally notifying Congress of them."

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian said that US arms sales to Taiwan infringe on China's sovereignty and severely damage its security interests, and urged Washington to explicitly recognize and cancel the damage caused by arms sales.

"China will take the legitimate and necessary response in accordance with the development of the situation," Zhao told reporters in Beijing, without giving further details.

The Senate Foreign Relations Committee and the House Foreign Affairs Committee have the right to review and prevent arms sales as part of an informal review process before the State Department sends its formal notification to the legislature.

Lawmakers, who are generally concerned about what they see as Chinese aggression and pro-Taiwan, are not expected to object to arms sales.

"The government has not been officially informed of any new weapon sales," said Gwan O, a spokeswoman for the Taiwan Foreign Ministry.

"China continues to resort to military provocations to undermine stability across the strait and in the region, while highlighting the importance of Taiwan's strengthening of its defense capabilities," she added.

Source: Agencies

By:Nadeemy Haded