Taipei said in July it was hopefully it would receive all 66 F-16V jets by the end of 2026, adding to one of Asia's largest fleets. The aircraft, approved for sale in 2019, are being built by Lockheed Martin— also sanctioned by China.

U.S. arms sales to Taiwan have seriously violated China's "One China Principle" and provisions of joint communiques between China and the U.S., Zhang Xiaogang, a spokesperson for China's defence ministry said on Friday.

China has announced sanctions on American companies selling arms to the self-ruled island of Taiwan, which Beijing claims as its own territory and threatens to annex by force.