China opposes US lawmakers' push to sell F-16 jets to Taiwan

China on Monday voiced its opposition to a defense spending bill passed last week by the US House of Representatives that pushed for sales of F-16 jets to Taiwan, state-owned Xinhua News Agency reported. "We have taken note of the bill," Foreign Ministry spokesman Hong Lei told a press conference in Beijing, adding that China firmly opposes US lawmakers' exaggeration of China's military development and push for arms sales to Taiwan. The House of Representatives voted Friday to require the US to sell F-16 C/D fighter-jets to Taiwan. "China sticks to the path of peaceful development," said the spokesman, adding it is baseless and irresponsible for anyone to play up the "China threat theory." Hong urged "some US lawmakers" to get rid of their Cold War mentality and stop pushing for arms' sales to Taiwan and all wrongdoings of interfering with China's internal affairs. China and Taiwan separated after a civil war in 1949, but Beijing still sees the island as its territory and has threatened to use force if Taiwan moves towards declaring independence.