Taiwan president speaks as US approves arms sale

Taiwan president Tsai Ing-wen on Tuesday said that the South China Sea was becoming an increasingly militarized area where "authoritarian forces consistently attempt to violate the existing rules-based order".

Tsai was speaking a day after the Trump administration approved a new major arms sale to Taiwan in a move sure to draw a firm rebuke from China, which regards Taiwan as a renegade province.

Speaking at the Indo-Pacific security forum in Taipei, Tsai said Taiwan has been receiving military threats on a daily basis.

"Only through engagement and by working together can we tackle the threats and challenges that beset our region and the world," she said.

Taiwan Premier Su Tseng-chang also defended the US arms sale before attending the weekly parliament session.

Su said the government will buy the necessary weapons to protect Taiwan's sovereignty and people's security.

The US State Department said Monday it had approved a $280 million sale to Taiwan of advanced military communications equipment.

The approval is just the latest in a series of such steps the Trump administration has taken to boost Taiwan's defenses over the course of the last several months.