The US House of Representatives has passed a sweeping $858bn defence spending bill that provides $10bn to fund the provision of weapons to Taiwan as the country comes under increasing pressure from China.

The National Defense Authorization Act, which is expected to pass the Senate later this month, provides five years of funding for weapons. It marks the first time the US government will finance weapons for Taiwan, which in the past has bought arms from US companies after Washington has provided approval for the sales.

Beijing has previously signalled strong opposition to the weapons measure, which comes as tensions are high over Taiwan. US-China relations remain tense despite the first in-person meeting between president Joe Biden and Xi Jinping, his Chinese counterpart, on the sidelines of the G20 summit in Bali, Indonesia, last month.