03-07-2011;ChinaDaily.com

BEIJING - Beijing firmly opposes Washington's arms sales to Taiwan, Chinese Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi said Monday

"We urge the United States to strictly abide by the principles and spirits of the three Sino-US joint communiques and the China-US Joint Statement," Yang told reporters, calling on the US to stop arms sales to Taiwan.

The US should "take concrete actions to support the peaceful development of cross-Strait relations", he said, noting that it is important in upholding overall interests of China-US relations.

Yang said there is now "good atmosphere" in China-US relations, but it is "an objective reality that China and the United States have some differences or even frictions over some issues."

"What is important is to properly handle these differences on the basis of mutual respect," he said.

Yang made the remarks at a press conference in Beijing on the sidelines of the annual session of the National People's Congress, the country's top legislature.