China’s military has warned Washington that its $5.9bn arms deal with Taiwan would become a “serious obstacle” to US-China military relations, blaming the frequent disruptions in bilateral military dialogue on Washington.

Beijing’s angry reaction to the Obama administration’s decision to help Taiwan modernise its air force with advanced radar systems, munitions and missiles underscores the difficulties in balancing Washington’s commitment to helping the island defend itself with its effort to build a stable relationship with China.

“[The US move] will create a serious obstacle to developing normal ex-changes between the two militaries,” the ministry of defence said, adding that the “US has ignored China’s firm opposition and insisted on selling arms to Taiwan”.