U.S. approves sale of tanks, missiles to Taiwan for $2.22 bil.

The U.S. State Department has approved a planned sale of tanks and missiles to Taiwan for an estimated cost of $2.22 billion, the Defense Department said Monday, in a move strongly protested by China.The announcement of the planned sale -- including 108 M1A2T Abrams tanks and 250 Stinger surface-to-air missiles -- drew a diplomatic protest from China, which regards the self-ruled island as a renegade province.Referring to the estimated $2 billion worth of tanks and related equipment in the deal, the Pentagon's Defense Security Cooperation Agency said, "These tanks will contribute to the rec…READ FULL ARTICLE