US to okay $1B arms sale to Taiwan as tensions rise with China

The Biden administration is set to announce a more than $1 billion arms sale to Taiwan as US-China tensions escalate over the status of the island, according to American officials and a congressional aide briefed on the matter.

The$1.09 billion sale includes $355 million for Harpoon air-to-sea missiles and $85 million for Sidewinder air-to-air missiles, the officials and the aide said on Friday.They said the largest portion of the sale, however, is a $655 million logistics support package for Taiwan's surveillance radar program, which provides air defence warnings. Early warning air defence systems have become more important as China has stepped up military drills near Taiwan, which it regards as a renegade province.The administration is to notify Congress of the sale after close of business on Friday, they said. The administration is expected to say that the deals comply with the US one-China policy and are in line with US commitments to Taiwan's defence.

The acrimony and strident rhetoric between the U.S. and China over Taiwan have increased sharply since House Speaker Nancy Pelosi visited the island last month.