China's state media said Thursday Beijing's response to potential US fighter jet sales to Taiwan must be its "most intense yet", just a day after the government sought to dispel fears over its military build-up.

In strongly-worded comment pieces, official media also said Washington should be "fully aware of the damages" of arms sales to Taiwan, the self-ruled island that Beijing considers part of its territory.

"If the United States sells Taiwan new F-16s, China's reaction must be the most intense yet," the nationalistic Global Times newspaper -- which has a circulation of 1.5 million -- said in its Chinese-language version.

The commentary was not published in the paper's English edition.

Taiwan has been a constant irritant in Sino-US ties, especially since 2010, when Washington sold $6.4 billion in arms to the island that Beijing wants back, by force if necessary.

In 2007, Taipei applied to the United States to buy improved versions of the F-16s that the island's air force currently uses, claiming the new jets were needed to counter a rising China.

But US magazine Defense News reported last month that Washington had told Taiwan it would not sell the jets, although US and Taiwanese officials still insist no decision has been made.

China's People's Daily newspaper -- the mounthpiece of the ruling Communist Party -- also warned Thursday of the consequences of the arms sale.

"China firmly opposes the US selling weapons to Taiwan and urges the US to be fully aware of the damages and sensitivity of selling arms to Taiwan to avoid hurting the peaceful developments of China-US relations," it said.

The state media comments come just one day after China released a white paper on its peaceful development plans, saying it would avoid "invasion, expansion or war" -- although not at the expense of its claims on Taiwan.

Washington and China's neighbours have expressed rising concerns over its armed forces build-up, growing military spending and territorial assertiveness, such as Beijing's claims in the South China Sea.

In a report two weeks ago, the Pentagon said China was increasingly focused on naval power and had invested in high-tech weaponry that would extend its reach in the Pacific and beyond -- claims Beijing dismissed as "groundless".

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Taiwan News at SinoDaily.com

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