The US State Department has approved the sale of vehicle-launched anti-tank systems to Taiwan worth $180 million (€169 million), as tensions between Taipei and Beijing continue to rise.

The Pentagon said approval for the sale came late Wednesday and also includes Volcano anti-tank munition-laying systems, cargo trucks, ammunition and logistics support packages, among other services.

The Defense Department said the sale aims to serve "US national, economic, and security interests by supporting the recipient's continuing efforts to modernize its armed forces and to maintain a credible defensive capability."

The new anti-tank system is capable of scattering both anti-tank and anti-personnel mines from a ground vehicle or helicopter.

China argues that the self-ruled island is part of its territory and warns that US support for Taiwan would destabilize the region.

When announcing the sale, the US stressed that it will improve Taiwan's capability to meet current and future threats, but that it would not "alter the basic military balance in the region."

The sale comes days after China conducted one of its largest incursions into Taiwan-controlled airspace.

What did China do?

China deployed 71 warplanes including dozens of fighter jets over the weekend to conduct military exercises around the strait, Taiwan's Defense Ministry said on Monday.

Forty-seven of the Chinese aircraft crossed the median line, an unofficial boundary once accepted by both sides.

The Chinese military said the exercises were in response to "provocations" and "collusion" between the US and Taiwan, describing them as a "strike drill."

Beijing had earlier expressed anger at a US annual defense spending bill that included some Taiwan-related provisions.

One day later, Taiwan's president announced extending compulsory military service to one year from four months, saying that the current duration of service was insufficient.

Growing Taiwan-China tensions

Chinese pressure on the self-ruled island has been rising steadily in recent years.

Under President Xi Jinping, Beijing has increased pressure on Taiwan through military, political, and economic means as ties have worsened.

More than 1,700 such incursions have occurred so far this year, compared to 969 in 2021 and 146 in 2020, according to the AFP news agency.

The Taiwanese administration said it seeks peace but that it would defend itself if necessary.

Ties between Beijing and Taipei have been particularly tense since August when US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi visited Taiwan. In retaliation for her visit, the Chinese military staged massive military exercises around the island.

rmt/sms (AFP, AP)