The US government has approved possible weapons sales to Taiwan worth about 360 million dollars. The arms include unmanned aerial vehicles of the same type the United States provided Ukraine.

The US State Department issued a statement on Tuesday announcing that it notified Congress of the decision on the same day.

It says the proposed sales to Taiwan include 291 ALTIUS 600M-V drone systems. The US provided them for Ukraine in its fight against Russia's invasion.

The US magazine Foreign Policy in May cited sources familiar with Taiwan's interest in the drones. It quoted them as saying that "Taiwanese officials increasingly believe that the US-made suicide drones would be effective at plunking Chinese ships if they come across the Taiwan Strait."

The State Department's statement said that the proposed sale will improve Taiwan's ability to meet current and future threats