China President Xi Jinping has called on the People's Liberation Army to prepare for war against the U.S. and Taiwan.
Xi said this during an inspection of the People's Liberation Army Navy Marine Corps in Chaozhou City in Guangdong province. The corps will spearhead any mainland invasion of Taiwan.
Xi told the marines to "maintain a state of high alert" and called on them to be "absolutely loyal, absolutely pure and absolutely reliable," according to state-run Xinhua News Agency.
Xi's declaration came after the U.S. said it had approved sales of three weapons systems to Taiwan. On Monday, the White House told the U.S. Congress it was moving ahead with the sales of these weapons.
It told Congress it had approved the sale to Taiwan of vehicle-mounted rocket launchers, guided, air-launched cruise missiles and the Sniper Advanced Targeting Pod for Taiwan's new Lockheed Martin F-16V fighters recently bought from the U.S.
In addition, the U.S. said it would sell Taiwan other weapons it wants including unmanned aerial vehicles, anti-ship missiles and underwater mines.
China's Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian called on the U.S. to immediately cancel any arms sales plans to Taiwan and cut all U.S.-Taiwan military ties, according to CNN.
"We make no promise to renounce the use of force and reserve the option of taking all necessary means," Xi said in 2019 after encouraging Taiwan to open talks on reunification.
