The administration of US President Joe Biden has approved the first-ever US military transfer to Taiwan under a program normally used for sovereign states.
The Associated Press said the State Department on Wednesday notified Congress of the aid package, worth 80 million dollars, under the Foreign Military Financing, or FMF, program.
Taiwan can purchase military equipment and receive training from the United States using the FMF funds.
US House of Representatives Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Michael McCaul welcomed the move. He said in a statement that the weapons will not only help Taiwan, but will also "strengthen the US deterrence posture" and ensure US national security from "increasingly aggressive" China.
The application of the FMF program for Taiwan is expected to draw sharp reactions from China, which opposes US military aid to Taiwan.