China has hit out at remarks by the US defence chief suggesting the United States is willing to expand arms sales and military training to Taiwan , the self-ruled island that Beijing claims as its own. US Secretary of Defence Lloyd Austin told Nikkei Asia that “the United States will make available to Taiwan defence articles and services necessary to enable it to maintain a sufficient self-defence capability commensurate with the Chinese threat”. Austin made the remarks in an interview with the news outlet published on Wednesday, ahead of a trip to Asia next week. Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian told reporters on Thursday that Beijing had always firmly opposed US arms sales to Taiwan, “which seriously infringe on China’s sovereignty and territorial integrity and seriously interfere in China’s internal affairs”. He again urged the US to abide by the one-China principle and the provisions of the three Sino-US joint communiques, to stop selling arms to Taiwan and to end military ties with the island. Tensions have been rising across the Taiwan Strait, and it remains a potential military flashpoint. US President Joe Biden’s comment last week that the US would be willing to defend Taiwan in the event of a mainland Chinese attack has also thrown doubt on Washington’s long-standing policy of “strategic ambiguity” on the issue. In the written interview with Nikkei Asia, Austin said Taiwan and Ukraine were “two highly different scenarios” when asked if the US would not rule out sending forces in the event of a Taiwan Strait contingency. The US has said it would not send troops to fight Russian forces in Ukraine. Meanwhile, the People’s Liberation Army is ramping up pressure on Taiwan. PLA spokesman Senior Colonel Shi Yi on Wednesday called this week’s drills near the island “necessary action” against “collusion” between Taiwan and the US. Beijing sees Taiwan as a breakaway province and has vowed to take the island under its control by force, if necessary. Washington switched diplomatic recognition from Taipei to Beijing in 1979 but maintains unofficial ties and continues to sell arms to Taiwan. Austin also commented on Beijing’s recent security deal with Solomon Islands, calling it “a concerning precedent for the wider Pacific island region”. He said the Aukus defence pact between the US, Australia and Britain was a “pathfinder”, and highlighted other American alliances in the region, with Japan, South Korea and the Philippines. “The Department of Defence remains committed to upholding a rules-based international order and reinforcing a free and open Indo-Pacific region, including by opposing Beijing’s attempts to coerce its neighbours and assert illegal claims in the South China Sea,” Austin was quoted as saying. In response, Zhao from the Chinese foreign ministry said the US should stop “creating political antagonism and military confrontation in the region, and play a constructive role in enhancing mutual trust and cooperation among regional countries” if it wanted to maintain freedom, stability and security in the Asia-Pacific region.