WASHINGTON — The Obama administration has decided not to sell F-16 fighter jets to Taiwan, but instead will help it refurbish its existing fleet, prompting criticism in Congress that the United States is buckling to pressure from China.

The decision, which could be announced as early as this week and was shared with congressional staff members Friday, is a consolation prize for Taiwan, which wanted to buy 66 F-16's to replace jets it bought in 1992 during the administration of the first President George Bush.

The administration's calculation, people briefed on the decision said, is that upgrading the old jets would allow Taiwan to defend itself but would avoid opening a major rift with China, which regards Taiwan as a breakaway province and opposes arms sales to it.

That reasoning does not satisfy Taiwan's supporters in Congress. "If the reports are true," Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, said in a written statement Friday, "today's capitulation to Communist China by the Obama administration marks a sad day in American foreign policy, and it represents a slap in the face to a strong ally and longtime friend."

Cornyn and Sen. Robert Menendez, D-N.J., introduced legislation last week requiring the United States to sell Taiwan the F-16's under a 1979 law that requires Washington to provide the island nation with arms sufficient to defend itself.

Production of the F-16 generates hundreds of jobs in Texas, where the jets are assembled, and in New Jersey. Cornyn noted the sale would provide jobs for "an American workforce that desperately needs them."

Officials, while not confirming the decision, said upgrading Taiwan's fleet of 145 F-16's makes sense because the work would be faster and cheaper than building new jets.

The package would be worth $5.85 billion, a senior administration official said, bringing total arms sales to Taiwan during the Obama administration to $12.25 billion, more than double the amount sold during former President George W. Bush's first term.

In January 2010, the Obama administration agreed to sell Patriot missiles, Black Hawk helicopters and communications equipment worth $6.4 billion to Taiwan. But it deferred the politically fraught decision on the F-16's, as had the Bush administration.

China has made military advances in recent years, but officials say Pentagon's defense analysts have concluded the new F-16's are not critical to the island's self-defense.