Taiwan's pro-reunification parties slam U.S. arms deal with Lai Ching-te

Pro-reunification parties in China's Taiwan region on Wednesday issued a joint statement, slamming recent U.S. arms sales to the island and Lai Ching-te for colluding with external forces to seek "independence."

The criticism came after 27 arms dealers in the United States, in the name of participating in the "U.S.-Taiwan Defense Industry Conference," recently sold arms to Lai.

"The purpose of such acts is to fuel the conflict across the Taiwan Straits and involve the people of Taiwan in the anti-China war set by the U.S.," said the statement.

The U.S. cannot promise Taiwan's security and will only bring isolation and danger to the people, the statement said, adding that purchasing U.S. arms will only lead to more heavy casualties in the region.

In a bid to consolidate its hegemony, the U.S. uses Taiwan as a human shield to contain China and undermines regional peace and stability, which will eventually be spurned by the international community and end up hurting its own interests, it said.

Noting that the greatest common denominator of the people of Taiwan is peace instead of war, the statement said any politician who plunges Taiwan into the crisis of a war is on the opposite side of the people of Taiwan.

"The people of Taiwan are part of the Chinese nation," it said, condemning the Democratic Progressive Party authorities for colluding with external forces and splitting China's territory.

The "Taiwan independence" forces are leading Taiwan into danger, the statement said, calling for resolutely opposing selling out Taiwan's security and interests.

Urging all walks of life in Taiwan to boycott U.S. arms dealers, it called for peace, economic development and reunification instead of weapons, wars and "independence."