China intends to suspend some military exchanges with the US, in the first concrete sign of the fallout from Washington’s decision to provide a $5.9bn arms package to Taiwan.

“I think they have indicated that they’re going to suspend or to cancel or postpone a series of […] military-to-military engagements,” a senior US administration official told reporters on Monday, according to a briefing transcript on the state department website.

Yang Jiechi, China’s foreign minister, met with Hillary Clinton, secretary of state, on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly on Monday. Mr Yang used the meeting to reiterate China’s strong opposition to the Obama administration’s decision to sell Taiwan spare parts, training and weapons to upgrade its ageing fleet of F16 fighter aircraft.