SPRINGFIELD - Congressional hopeful Aaron Schock took heat Thursday from his Republican opponents for suggesting the U.S. should consider selling nuclear missiles to Taiwan.

In a speech at an campaign event last month, the state representative from Peoria said China must sanction Iran in order to help stop its nuclear program. If not, he said, the U.S. government could sell nuclear weapons to Taiwan to get China's attention.

"If China continues to be irresponsible about nuclear proliferation in Iran, we should tell them that if they do not care about proliferation … we will sell Pershing nuclear missiles to Taiwan for their defense," the speech read, according to campaign materials.

Schock is one of three Republicans running to replace U.S. Rep. Ray LaHood in the 18th Congressional district, which includes areas just north of Decatur, as well as parts of Tazewell and Woodford counties.

Fellow Republicans John Morris and Jim McConoughey criticized Schock for the policy suggestion Thursday.

Morris, a former Peoria City Council member, said Schock's mention of selling nuclear missiles to Taiwan was the first he had heard of such an idea.

"Giving away nuclear weapons is completely irresponsible," he said in a statement.

Morris added that the U.S. should continue to explore diplomatic relationships with Iran, as well as keep troops in Iraq to win the war there and show military strength.

McConoughey, an economic development leader from Dunlap, called two news conferences Thursday to pounce on the 26-year-old candidate. McConoughey said Schock had a "lack of maturity" and called his statement "serious and reckless."

"This isn't a Ronald Reagan idea. It's a Dr. Strangelove idea," McConoughey said.

Schock's campaign shot back at McConoughey.

"The people are tired of cynical candidates who run for office while avoiding dealing with our nation's challenges while problems get worse," a Schock statement said.

Schock also hedged his comments about nuclear weapons Thursday in the same released statement.

"The Chinese are hard to move diplomatically. The one thing that gets their attention is Taiwan," he said, adding, "I do not want to sell nuclear weapons to Taiwan, I want China's cooperation in dealing with Iran."