The US State Department approved, on Tuesday, the sale of four US-made drones equipped with M-Q-9 missiles to Taiwan in an official notification sent to Congress, the last step before finalizing the deal, according to Reuters.
The $ 600 million deal will be the first such sale since the Trump administration relaxed the U.S. policy on exporting advanced drone technology.
And Washington announced, last week, that it had agreed to sell Taiwan 100 Harpoon missile defense systems in a deal worth $ 2.4 billion.
Reuters reported that the White House will proceed with five separate sales of advanced military equipment to Taiwan, with a total value of about $ 5 billion, as the administration of US President Donald Trump and Trump intensifies pressure on China and worries about Beijing's intentions towards Taiwan.
A Pentagon statement said this sale serves the national, economic and security interests of the United States by supporting Taiwan's efforts to modernize its armed forces and maintain its defense capability.
The sale will also help improve Taiwan's security and help it maintain political stability, military and economic balance, and progress in the region.
China has threatened to impose sanctions on US companies and entities that have participated in selling weapons to Taiwan, according to a Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman.
Taiwan has enjoyed self-rule since 1949, when nationalist Chinese forces fled there, following the Communist victory in the Chinese Civil War, but Beijing rejects this and seeks to recover it in any way.
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