Beijing: China on Thursday declared that the recent US arms supply to Taipei will not bridge the military gap across the Taiwan Strait, as reported by state media. 'Several pieces of US weaponry will not close the cross-Straits military power gap, still less stop the historical trend of China's reunification,' stated Defense Ministry spokesman Zhang Xiaogang. This response follows the US approval of arms sales worth $1.98 billion to Taiwan, which includes a surface-to-air missile system and a radar system. According to Anadolu Agency, this marks the 17th arms supply approval by the Biden administration since 2021. In reaction to this development, China's Foreign Ministry lodged a formal protest with the US, citing that the arms sales 'seriously violate the one-China principle and the three China-US joint communiques, especially the August 17 Communique of 1982.' China perceives Taiwan as its "breakaway province," whereas Taipei has maintained its independence since 1949. The ministry further stated that the sales undermine China's sovereignty and security interests, damage China-US relations, and threaten peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait by sending a gravely wrong message to Taiwan independence separatist forces. Moreover, Zhang expressed opposition to the passage of warships through the Taiwan Strait, condemning certain countries for using freedom of navigation as a pretext to provoke and undermine China's sovereignty and security. He emphasized that the Chinese military remains prepared to counter threats and provocations to defend national sovereignty and territorial integrity. In a related move, the Chinese military conducted dual-carrier formation drills for the first time with its aircraft carriers Liaoning and Shandong in the disputed South China Sea. Zhang described the maritime drill as a combat-scenario training exercise aimed at enhancing the carrier group's systematic combat capabilities.