The US has approved an $80 million military grant to Taiwan, a first, signalling more direct support and concern about China's growing military threat. The grant also suggests the US is rethinking its Indo-Pacific strategy and moving towards a more explicit policy of deterring China from invading Taiwan. The grant is part of a program called foreign military finance (FMF), which has been used to send billions of dollars in military aid to countries around the world, but never before to a country not recognised by the United Nations. The US insists its policy on Taiwan has not changed, but the grant is a clear signal that it is willing to support Taiwan more directly and is concerned about the growing military threat from China.

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