The potential sale included 108 General Dynamics Corp M1A2 Abrams tanks worth around $2 billion as well as anti-tank and anti-aircraft munitions, three of the sources said. The United States has no formal ties with Taiwan, but is bound by law to help provide it with the means to defend itself. China and the United States are engaged in a fierce trade war, with clashes over Taiwan and the South China Sea exacerbating tensions. China claims almost all of the strategic South China Sea and frequently lambastes the United States and its allies over naval operations near Chinese-occupied islands. Acting U.S. Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan told the meeting that the United States would no longer "tiptoe" around China's behaviour in Asia.

Source: thestar June 05, 2019 18:35 UTC