China warns U.S. that it risks rift over missiles for Taiwan

BEIJING China demanded Thursday that the United States scrapplans to sell an anti-aircraft missile system to Beijing's rivalTaiwan, warning that the sale could endanger slowly recoveringSino-U.S. relations.

"We demand the U.S. side . . . cancel plans to sell missiles toTaiwan to prevent creating new damage to Sino-U.S. relations," aforeign ministry spokesman said.

The sale of the Avenger anti-aircraft missile system violatescommuniques governing Sino-U.S. relations on Taiwan, the spokesmansaid. Under the communiques, the United States has pledged to sellonly defensive weapons to Taiwan.

In Washington, U.S. State Department deputy spokesman GlynDavies said the system is purely defensive and consistent with U.S.policy on arms sales to Taiwan.