China says U.S. should stop arms sales to Taiwan

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin speaks during a news conference in Beijing

BEIJING (Reuters) - The United States should stop arms sales to Taiwan to avoid affecting bilateral relations, China's foreign ministry said on Friday, after Reuters reported that Washington was negotiating the sale of at least four sophisticated aerial drones to Taiwan.

U.S. arms sales seriously violate the "one China" principle, ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin told a daily news briefing, referring to the principle which states that Taiwan is part of China.

(Reporting by Cate Cadell; Writing by Ben Blanchard; Editing by Gareth Jones)