Chinese authorities 'outraged' by US-Taiwan arms deal

Beijing has said it is 'outraged' by the decision of the US government to sign a $1.42bn arms deal with Taiwan.

The proposed deal between the US and Taiwan includes the delivery of early warning radars and high-speed missiles, and represents the latest trough in relations between Washington and Beijing.

According to Reuters, the Chinese embassy in Washington said on Friday that the decision to sign an arms deal was the wrong one.

"The Chinese government and Chinese people have every right to be outraged," the embassy said.

Diplomatic relations between the US and China have proved tense following the election of Donald Trump, but appeared to cool somewhat following Chinese premier Xi Jinping’s visit in April.

"The wrong move of the U.S. side runs counter to the consensus reached by the two presidents in and the positive development momentum of the China-U.S. relationship," the embassy added.

China and Taiwan have been on a collision course since the election of an independence-leaning president in the region last year, with Beijing’s ‘one China’ policy coming under pressure.