The United States has announced that it may sell arms worth 1.1 billion euros to Taiwan. This includes 60 anti-ship missiles and 100 anti-aircraft missiles, the Ministry of Defense said. The deal isn’t over yet, and Congress hasn’t decided yet. China has strongly opposed the plan.

If the sale goes ahead, it would be the first time in two years that so many U.S. arms have been delivered to Taiwan, according to Bloomberg. Both Democrats and Republicans are expected to vote for the sale in Congress.

According to the Pentagon, the deliveries will not affect the “military balance” that now exists in the region. A spokesman said the “proposed sale is part of an ongoing sale to modernize Taiwan’s military.”

A spokesman for the Chinese embassy in the US warns that the arms transfer “could seriously jeopardize relations between Washington and Beijing”. China has said it will take countermeasures if the US does not cancel the sale. Earlier, China said it strongly opposes US arms sales to the Chinese territory of Taiwan.

According to Taiwan’s Ministry of Defense, two Chinese warplanes today crossed the center line of the Taiwan Strait, which is considered the unofficial border between Taiwan and China. A total of four Chinese aircraft and five ships are said to be nearby. China has yet to say whether it is a direct response to US arms deliveries.

Tensions between the US and China over Taiwan have been rising since House Speaker Nancy Pelosi visited the island last month. Beijing views the visit as a provocation, as China views Taiwan as a renegade province.

Any foreign power visiting the island is considered by the Chinese government to support the ‘traitor province’. China has visited several times since Pelosi’s visit was militarily active Around Taiwan. After his visit, the US visited Taiwan at least twice with several delegations.

The US role in the China-Taiwan issue can be seen in this video: