The United States has disclosed that it plans to sell $440 million in ammunition and parts to Taiwan, its latest effort to boost the self-ruling island's defence.

Thursday's sale is comparatively small in scale and does not expand the range of US weaponry to Taiwan, but comes as the United States and China move delicately to stabilise their turbulent relationship.

In a notification to Congress, the State Department said it would sell $332.2 million in 30mm ammunition and related equipment to Taiwan and $108 million in spare and repair parts for wheeled vehicles and weapons.

The sales will help Taiwan "maintain a credible defensive capability" but "will not alter the basic military balance in the region," the State Department added.

It "will help improve the security of the recipient and assist in maintaining political stability, military balance and economic progress in the region”.

Taiwan's defence ministry on Friday welcomed the planned sale for "providing the need for enhancing our defence capacity as well as maintaining regional stability," it said in a tweet.

US-Taiwan relations

Congress has the right to reject the sale but such a move is highly unlikely, with lawmakers pushing for the United States to go further and directly provide weapons to Taiwan rather than approving its purchase requests.

In a decades-long policy, the United States sells weapons to Taiwan to ensure its self-defence but only recognises Beijing.

China, which claims the self-governing democracy as its own territory and has not ruled out seizing it through force, detests any hint of diplomatic relations between Taiwan and other governments.

Secretary of State Antony Blinken paid a rare visit to Beijing earlier in June in which his hosts vowed no compromise on Taiwan, although the two sides voiced hope at keeping up communication to keep tensions from boiling over.

Beijing twice in the past year has carried out huge military exercises in waters around Taiwan in response to gestures of support by top US lawmakers.

On Friday, Taipei said it detected five Chinese warships and 24 Chinese warplanes around the island, of which 11 crossed the median line of the Taiwan Strait.

Dem just dey use some people play ping-pong.

US is destroying the world with its imperalistic ambition while disguising as democracy champion

US will not leave this yellow people now

If the Taiwanese government have any sense..any one as small as a mustard seed... They should reach an agreement with China peacefully...if they like they should allow Uncle Sam use their head for ping pong

US about to start another Russia-Ukraine war

Weapons Baron