US lawmakers have voted for fresh assistance for Taiwan, allowing the island to upgrade its military hardware. Taiwan’s president-elect says it will “safeguard peace,” but China says it raises the risk of war.

China on Wednesday decried a fresh package of US military aid for Taiwan, which is intended to boost the island’s defenses in the case of a possible Chinese invasion.

The US Senate passed the $8 billion (€7.48 billion) military aid package late Tuesday, as part of larger legislation that includes fresh assistance for Israel and Ukraine. Having already passed the House, the bill will now head to US President Joe Biden’s desk to be signed into law.

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China does not view Taiwan as a separate country, but rather as a breakaway province. The Chinese Civil War ended in 1949, with the communists taking control of the Chinese mainland and the nationalist Kuomintang retreating to Taiwan