BEIJING - A senior United States senator on Wednesday said US arms sales to Taiwan were hurting ties with China and challenged US Defense Secretary Robert Gates on the necessity of the deal.

She also revealed the Chinese leadership is considering redeploying some arms targeting Taiwan to ease tensions, while a senior Chinese military source close to the affair told China Daily that China is unlikely to unfreeze military contacts with the US if Washington sticks to its tough tone on the arms deal.

US Senate Intelligence Committee Chairwoman Dianne Feinstein, who visited both Beijing and Taipei earlier this month, called US arms sales to Taiwan "a substantial irritant" in relations between Washington and Beijing.