(MENAFN) The Pentagon has confirmed that it has authorized its first weapons sale to Taiwan since US President Donald Trump assumed office in January.

China, which regards the self-governing island as part of its territory, condemned the decision as a violation of its sovereignty.

The planned transaction will have Taipei allocate $330 million to procure spare components for the American-made aircraft it operates, according to a statement from the US Department of War on Thursday.

The acquisition is expected to assist Taiwan in “maintaining the operational readiness of the… fleet of F-16, C-130” and other aircraft, the statement added.

Karen Kuo, a spokeswoman for Taiwan’s presidential office, praised the approval, asserting that the “deepening of the Taiwan-US security partnership is an important cornerstone of peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific region.”

Taiwan’s Defense Ministry indicated that the sale of the US aircraft parts will “take effect” within a month.

During a briefing, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Lin Jian stated that Beijing “deplores and opposes” American arms sales to Taiwan, which he said contravene China’s security interests and “send a gravely wrong signal to ‘Taiwan independence’ separatist forces.”

The Taiwan matter remains “the first red line that must not be crossed in China-US relations,” Lin emphasized.

Officially, the US adheres to the One-China policy, acknowledging that Taiwan, which has exercised de facto self-rule since 1949 but never formally declared independence from Beijing, is a part of China.

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