The United States has announced $345 million in military aid for Taiwan, in what is the Biden administration鈥檚 first major package drawing on America鈥檚 own stockpiles to .

The White House said Friday (July 28) the package would include defense, education and training for the Taiwanese. Washington will send man-portable air defense systems, or MANPADS, intelligence and surveillance capabilities, firearms and missiles, according to two U.S. officials who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive matters.

U.S. lawmakers have been pressuring the Pentagon and White House to speed weapons to Taiwan. The goals are to help it counter China and to deter China from considering attacking, by providing Taipei enough weaponry that it would make the price of invasion too high.

While Chinese diplomats protested the move, Taiwan鈥檚 representative office in the U.S. said the administration鈥檚 decision to pull arms and other materiel from its stores provided 鈥渁n important tool to support Taiwan鈥檚 self-defense.鈥� In a statement, it pledged to work with the United States to maintain 鈥減eace, stability and the status quo across the Taiwan Strait.鈥�

Taiwan鈥檚 Ministry of National Defense also expressed its appreciation in a statement that thanked 鈥渢he U.S. for its firm commitment to Taiwan鈥檚 security.鈥�

The package is in addition to nearly of F-16s and other major weapons systems that the U.S. has approved for Taiwan. Delivery of those weapons has been hampered by supply chain issues that started during the COVID-19 pandemic and have been exacerbated by the global defense industrial base pressures created by Russia鈥檚 invasion of Ukraine.

The difference is that this aid is part of a presidential authority approved by Congress last year to draw weapons from current U.S. military stockpiles 鈥� so Taiwan will not have to wait for military production and sales. This gets weapons delivered faster than providing funding for new weapons.

The Pentagon has used a similar authority to get billions of dollars worth of munitions to Ukraine.

Taiwan split from China in 1949 amid civil war. Chinese President Xi Jinping maintains China鈥檚 right to take over the now self-ruled island, by force if necessary. China has accused the U.S. of turning Taiwan into a 鈥減owder keg鈥� through the billions of dollars in weapons sales it has pledged.

The U.S. maintains a 鈥淥ne China鈥� policy under which it Taiwan鈥檚 as an independent country and has no formal diplomatic relations with the island in deference to Beijing. However, U.S. law requires a credible defense for Taiwan and for the U.S. to treat all threats to the island as matters of 鈥済rave concern.鈥�

Getting stockpiles of weapons to Taiwan now, before an attack begins, is one of the lessons the U.S. has learned from Russia鈥檚 invasion of Ukraine, Pentagon deputy defense secretary Kathleen Hicks told The Associated Press earlier this year.

Ukraine 鈥渨as more of a cold-start approach than the planned approach we have been working on for Taiwan, and we will apply those lessons,鈥� Hicks said. Efforts to resupply Taiwan after a conflict erupted would be complicated because it is an island, she said.

China regularly in the Taiwan Strait that provides a buffer between the sides, as well as into Taiwan鈥檚 air defense identification zone, in an effort to intimidate the island鈥檚 23 million people and wear down its military capabilities.

Liu Pengyu, a spokesman for the Chinese Embassy in Washington, said in a statement that Beijing was 鈥渇irmly opposed鈥� to U.S. military ties with Taiwan. The U.S. should 鈥渟top selling arms to Taiwan鈥� and 鈥渟top creating new factors that could lead to tensions in the Taiwan Strait,鈥� Liu said.

Nomaan Merchant, Ellen Knickmeyer, Zeke Miller And Tara Copp, The Associated Press

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