The United States has announced 345 million dollars in military aid for Taiwan, ramping up support for the self-ruled island that is claimed by China.
The package will include defence articles, military education and training.
The White House announcement did not elaborate on the weapons or equipment that would be provided, but there are speculations that the supplies would include portable air defence systems, small arms munitions and reconnaissance equipment.
The announcement prompted a swift rebuke from Beijing, which has promised to reunify democratically ruled Taiwan with the Chinese mainland by force if necessary.
In a statement, Liu Pengyu, a spokesman for the Chinese embassy in Washington, said the US should stop selling arms to Taiwan and stop creating new factors that could lead to tensions in the Taiwan Strait.
The US does not officially recognise Taiwan, which has just 13 diplomatic allies but has sought to boost its defences amid Beijing’s increasingly aggressive stance towards the island, including regular incursions of warplanes and naval vessels.
Earlier this month, China conducted major military exercises around Taiwan for the second time this year, sending dozens of warships and planes close to the Taiwanese coastline.
