The State Department on Thursday urged China to stop its military pressure against Taiwan and engage in "meaningful" dialogue after Beijing conducted military drills near the self-ruled island this week.

The Trump administration has approved the largest single package of weapons sales to Taiwan in U.S. history. Many of the systems mirror those the United States has supplied to Ukraine. The move is part of a broader U.

China’s Foreign Ministry attacked the move, saying it would violate diplomatic agreements between China and the United States.

The Pentagon said on Wednesday that Lockheed Martin was given a contract involving foreign military sales to Taiwan to meet what Washington calls "an urgent operational need" of the Taiwan Air Force.

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi criticized a record U.S. arms sale to Taiwan on Tuesday, as his country conducts military drills around the island.  The Trump administration on Dec. 17 announced

The drills came after Beijing expressed anger at U.S. arms sales, and a statement by Japan's prime minister saying its military could get involved if China were to take action against Taiwan.

China's military says it is carrying out drills for a second day near Taiwan, with long-distance live-firing and the deployment of weapons including destroyers and bombers to practice blockades and other maneuvers.

In a war with China, Taiwan could have an asymmetric advantage with a high volume of cheap and survivable weapons, a retired admiral said.

Taiwan stayed on high ‌alert ​on Wednesday after China staged massive ‌military drills around the island the previous day, keeping its emergency maritime ​response centre running, the head of the island's coast guard said.