The United States on Thursday left open the possibility of further arms sales to Taiwan.

In January, President Barack Obama's administration approved a US$6.4 billion arms package for Taiwan, including helicopters, Patriot missiles and mine-hunting ships. The move angered Beijing which sees Taiwan as part of Chinese territory, even though the two sides have been ruled separately for more than 60 years.

A US State Department official, Michael Schiffer, said Thursday that China's military buildup was aimed squarely at Taiwan.

Another US State Department official, David Shear, said that the United States would continue to stand by its commitment under US law to provide Taiwan with the weapons it needs to defend itself.