Beijing, Oct. 8: A 6.4 billion dollar deal to sell US arms to Taiwan has ruined years of Chinese efforts to build military trust with the Pentagon.

A spokesman for the Ministry of National Defense (MND) said Washington should bear full responsibility for the consequences.

He made the remarks after the US government announced plans on Friday to sell a massive arms package to Taiwan, including 30 Apache attack helicopters and 330 Patriot missiles.

Washington - China's decision to reduce contacts with the United States over weapons sales to Taiwan is "unfortunate", the US State Department said Tuesday, while pledging to continue working with Beijing.

"It's an unfortunate decision that the Chinese have taken," deputy spokesman Robert Wood said.

China strongly opposed the plans announced last week to sell 6.4 billion dollars in arms to Taiwan, and said US-Chinese military relations would be "poisoned" over the deal.

Taipei - Taiwan's September exports suffered their largest decline in six years due to the global recession, the Taiwan Finance Ministry said Tuesday.

In September, Taiwan's exports totalled 21.85 billion US dollars, down 1.6 per cent year on year, the biggest fall since April 2004.

The biggest decline was in exports to China and Hong Kong, which fell 16.3 per cent year on year. China and HK together account for 35 per cent of Taiwan's export.

Taipei - On the international arms market, it is believed that money can buy anything. But not in the case of Taiwan.

The government of Taiwan, holder of the world's fifth-largest foreign currency reserves - 281.1 billion US dollars - believes it desperately needs to buy modern weapons to guard against a possible attack from China.

Yet with China's power growing year by year, fewer and fewer countries are willing to sell arms to Taiwan, for fear of offending China.

China sees Taiwan as its breakaway province and has vowed to recover the island by force if Taipei seeks formal independence from - or indefinitely delays unification with - the mainland.

Taipei - President Alvaro Colom of Guatemala, one of the 23 countries which recognize Taiwan, is set to arrive in Taipei Tuesday evening as the island is trying to cement ties with its allies.

Colom will visit for four days and attend Taiwan's National Day celebrations on October 10. He will hold talks with President Ma Ying-jeou on strengthening ties and receive an honorary degree from the Chinese Culture University, the ministry said.

Colom will be accompanied by Foreign Minister Roger Haroldo Rodas and other Guatemalan officials and reporters.