The United States announced on Thursday that it would be selling $440 million in ammunition and parts to Taiwan, a move which is intended to boost the self-ruling island's defense. The sale is relatively small in scale and does not involve the expansion of U.S. weaponry to Taiwan. The move comes as the U.S. and China are attempting to stabilize their tense relationship. The State Department said that the sale of $332.2 million in 30mm ammunition and related equipment and $108 million in spare and repair parts for wheeled vehicles and weapons will improve Taiwan's defensive capability but will not alter the military balance in the region.

This sale is also expected to help maintain political stability, military balance and economic progress in the region. Taiwan's Defence Ministry welcomed the sale, stating that it would provide the need for enhancing their defense capacity and maintaining regional stability. The U.S. Congress has the right to reject the sale, but such a move is highly unlikely, as many lawmakers are pushing for the U.S. to directly provide weapons to Taiwan instead of approving its purchase requests. The U.S. has been selling weapons to Taiwan in order to ensure its self-defence for decades, while only recognizing Beijing.

China claims Taiwan as its own territory and has not ruled out force as a means to take it. China has expressed firm opposition to the U.S. supplying weapons to the island, and urged the U.S. to stop creating new causes of military tension in the Taiwan Strait and stop endangering peace and stability in the region. In June, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken visited Alaska, where his hosts vowed no compromise on Taiwan. The two sides voiced hope at keeping up communication to keep tensions from escalating. In the past year, China has carried out huge military exercises in waters around Taiwan in response to gestures of support by top U.S. lawmakers.

Most recently, Taiwan said it detected five Chinese warships and 24 Chinese warplanes around the island, with 11 of them crossing the median line of the Taiwan Strait. The sale of ammunition and parts to Taiwan by the United States is a move to strengthen the island's defense and maintain regional stability. Even though it does not expand the range of U.S. weaponry to Taiwan, the sale is likely to be approved by the U.S. Congress. The U.S. is committed to selling weapons to Taiwan to ensure its self-defence, while China has expressed its firm opposition to the move. Both sides, however, are hopeful that communication can be kept up to prevent tensions from rising.