US urges China against sanctions amid Taiwan spat

The Obama administration defended the arms sale Monday as preserving the military balance between Taiwan and fast-growing China, which reacted furiously to a US announcement it was selling the 6.4 billion dollars in weapons.

Beijing has always strongly opposed US sales to Taiwan, which it considers a Chinese territory awaiting reunification. But in a new step, China pledged Saturday to punish the US companies involved in the deal.

White House spokesman Robert Gibbs said that Chinese sanctions "would not be warranted."

Gibbs said that Obama had spoken to Chinese leaders when he visited Beijing in November about the question of arms sales to Taiwan, and other issues.

"We've always said that we want the type of relationship where we're working together on important issues of mutual concern," Gibbs said.

"But when we have disagreements... we'll voice those disagreements out in the open, in public."