The Biden administration has approved more than $1.1 billion in arms sales to Taiwan, a move that is likely to further inflame already heightened tensions between Washington and Beijing.
The administration on Friday formally notified Congress of the proposed sales, which include up to 60 anti-ship missiles and up to 100 air-to-air missiles, CNN reported.
Laura Rosenberger, the White House's senior director for China and Taiwan, said this is the largest arms sale to Taiwan so far under the Biden administration.
"This package has been in the works for some time precisely because we expected it would be needed after the PRC achieved pressure on Taiwan," she said, using the acronym for the People's Republic of China.
"This reflects the US government's assessment of Taiwan's defense needs and the threat posed by the PRC," she added.
A State Department spokesman said the sales were consistent with US Taiwan policy, noting the long history of the US providing defensive weapons to the island.
