China has strongly condemned US plans for a $5.3bn upgrade to Taiwan's US-built F-16s, calling it a "grave interference" in its internal affairs and threatened to undermine relations with the US.

The Chinese foreign ministry said in a statement on Thursday that Zhang Zhijun, the country's deputy foreign minister, summoned the US ambassador in Beijing, Gary Locke, to deliver the protest over the warplanes deal.

"The wrongdoing by the US side will inevitably undermine bilateral relations as well as exchanges and co-operation in military and security areas," Zhang told Locke, according to the statement.

Zhang voiced his country's "strong indignation and resolute opposition" to the deal, according to his ministry's website.

Al Jazeera's Florence Looi reports.