The United States has announced $345 million in military aid for Taiwan, ramping up support for the self-ruled island.

The package will include “defence articles”, military education, and training, US President Joe Biden’s administration said in a statement on Friday.

The White House announcement did not elaborate on the weapons or equipment that would be provided. However, media reports citing sources said the supplies would include portable air defence systems, small arms munitions and reconnaissance equipment.

Responding to the announcement, 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.”

China considers the self-ruled territory of Taiwan as its own and has vowed to bring it under its control in the future, using force if necessary. For the past three years, China has stepped up military pressure against Taiwan and has regularly held military missions around the island.

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.