China condemned the agreement to sell Taiwanese-owned American systems, which was approved by Washington on Friday. Beijing termed the U.S. actions a 'serious blow to China-U.S. relations.'
Taiwan, despite China's protests, signed a contract to purchase Patriot missiles and combat management systems worth around 21 billion dollars from the American corporation Lockheed Martin. A representative of the company noted that creating a safe and reliable environment in the Pacific region is one of the company's main obligations.
Negotiations continued for several years, but due to the increasing tensions around Taiwan, they have become more persistent. China considers Taiwan to be part of its territory and insists on the complete reunification of the island with the mainland.
