The US has approved the largest arms sale to Taiwan since Donald Trump took office, underscoring Washington's increasingly robust support for Taipei as it faces a growing threat from China.
The State Department has given the green light to a $2.2bn sale of 108 Abrams tanks, 250 Stinger missiles and related equipment, the unit department that handles foreign arms sales, the Defence Security Cooperation Agency, said on Monday.
The move could test the Chinese government's willingness to separate its claim on Taiwan from a willingness to calm tensions with Washington, with both sides set to resume stalled negotiations to resolve their fierce trade war.