China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs hit out at Washington’s military ties to Taiwan and vowed to 'resolutely retaliate' during a Wednesday briefing in Beijing, after the White House said recent arms sales gave the country 'no reason to react'.

"China’s opposition to US-Taiwan military ties and US arms sales to Taiwan is consistent and clear. Taiwan is a province of China, so how can you defend it?… China will resolutely retaliate against actions that undermine China's sovereignty and security and interfere in China's internal affairs," said spokesperson Mao Ning.

In a press conference the previous day, US Department of State spokesperson Vedant Patel argued that Washington had been providing defensive capabilities to Taiwan for decades, before the $1.1 billion arms sales approved last week.

“The US will continue to meet Taiwan's defence needs," he said. "This package was in the works for some time precisely because we expected it would be needed as China increased its pressure on Taiwan."

Tensions between China and the US have heightened since the visits of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and other lawmakers to Taipei last month. Beijing conducted a series of military exercises around the islands, while the US has sailed two warships through the Taiwan Strait.

China views Taiwan as part of its territory under the 'One China' principle, while Taipei has never officially declared independence.