US sending Taiwan $345 million in security assistance

The U.S State Department has reportedly notified Congress of its plans to sell 18 MQ-9B aerial drones to the United Arab Emirates. [AFP]

The U.S. is sending Taiwan $345 million in security assistance as part of a long-awaited aid package meant to help the island defend itself from a potential invasion by China.

The announcement from the White House on Friday said the aid, going to Taiwan as part of a drawdown from existing U.S. weapons stocks, will include "defense articles and services of the Department of Defense, and military education and training."