North Korea denounce "US providing weapons to Taiwan" ... "Full support for any measures taken by China"

North Korea denounced the United States for announcing a plan to provide military assistance to Taiwan, and announced that it would "fully support any steps taken by China for unification." This appears to be a demonstration that China and North Korea have recently been showing close ties to each other on Victory Day (the day the Korean War ceasefire agreement was signed).

North Korea's foreign ministry director-general for China, Maeng Yong-nim, said on the same day via the state-run KCNA news agency that US military assistance to Taiwan was based on the "one-China" principle pledged by the US and the three US-China joint ventures. It is a blatant violation of the spirit of communique," he said, adding, "It is an interference in China's internal affairs and a grave violation of China's sovereignty and security."

The U.S. has announced a plan to provide military assistance to Taiwan, which will use the Presidential Authority (PDA) to support military equipment, service and training worth $345 million. The PDA is the power that allows the president to directly execute the budget in times of emergency without congressional approval.

Director Meng said, "While publicly saying that we will adhere to the one-China principle, behind the scenes, we are like the brazen United States that is fanning the independence of Taiwan, which is a solemn part of China. It is precisely this duality and ambivalence that is an extremely dangerous political-military provocation that completely destroys the stability of the regional situation, and is an anti-peaceful act that should naturally be condemned by the world."

"(The United States) is trying to secure a hegemonic position in the Asia-Pacific region by turning Taiwan into an inviolable anti-China outpost and a first-line trench for realizing a deterrence strategy against China."

"We regard the US maneuvers to incite the Taiwanese independence forces as brutal interference in China's internal affairs and a severe violation of China's sovereignty, and strongly condemn it." he continued.

"The Democratic People's Republic of Korea fully supports and encourages any measures taken by the People's Republic of China to protect its sovereignty and territorial integrity and to achieve the unification of the Chinese nation," he added.