The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) yesterday thanked the US Democratic Party for including for the first time the “six assurances” — a long-standing US foreign policy governing relations with Taiwan — in its party platform and subsequently ratifying it at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago on Monday.
In its platform, the Democratic Party “firmly pledged to preserve peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait and ensure that there were no unilateral changes to the status quo from either side,” the ministry said in a statement.
“Marking yet another explicit expression of staunch support for Taiwan in the Democratic Party platform, this was also the first time that the platform included a reference to the Six Assurances and a statement on remaining ‘steadfast in America’s commitment to peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait,’” the ministry said, adding that it welcomed this strong support for Taiwan.
Photo: AFP
“The inclusion of Taiwan-friendly text in the party platform not only reflected the Democratic Party’s unwavering support for Taiwan, but also underscored its high regard for peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait, a consensus that is shared by the international community,” the ministry said.
“Taiwan has long enjoyed friendly relations with all circles in the US. MOFA will build on this solid foundation by continuing to engage in close and steadfast cooperation with the Democratic Party, the Republican Party, and other friends across all sectors in the US so as to steadily deepen the values-based Taiwan-US partnership across the globe,” it added.
The “six assurances,” which were passed as unilateral US clarifications to the Third Communique between the US and China in 1982, state that the US has neither agreed to set a date for ending arms sales to Taiwan, nor has it agreed to consult with the People’s Republic of China (PRC) on arms sales to Taiwan.
The US will also not play a mediation role between Taipei and Beijing, nor revise the Taiwan Relations Act, they say.
Additionally, the US government has not altered its position regarding sovereignty over Taiwan, nor will it exert pressure on Taiwan to enter into negotiations with the PRC, they say.
Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Legislator Wang Ting-yu (王定宇), who is leading a legislative delegation to the Democratic Party Convention this week, said that the US party has made a major declaration of its stance on Taiwan by including the “six assurances” in its party platform.
“Both the Democratic Party and the Republican Party are important friends of Taiwan, and we are glad to participate in the important activities of these parties,” he said.
Another delegation member, DPP Legislator Fan Yun (范雲), said that the inclusion again showed that “support for Taiwan” is a bipartisan consensus in the US.
Additional reporting by Chen Chih-yu
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