The US Department of State on Tuesday reiterated Washington’s commitments to Taiwan after US President Donald Trump seemed prepared to undermine one of those promises in remarks about his upcoming meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平).
Speaking to reporters at the White House on Monday, ahead of his summit with Xi in Beijing from yesterday to tomorrow, Trump was asked about Washington’s long-standing support for Taiwan’s defense and he mentioned the issue of US arms sales to Taiwan.
“President Xi would like us not to, and I’ll have that discussion. That’s one of the many things I’ll be talking about,” Trump said.
Photo: AFP
If that were to happen, it would go against one of the main tenets of the “six assurances” to Taiwan issued by then-US president Ronald Reagan’s administration in 1982 — a pledge by the US not to consult Beijing on arms sales to Taiwan.
Asked whether the actions suggested by Trump’s comments would violate the “six assurances,” a department spokesperson did not give a direct answer, instead reiterating the US’ long-held position on dealing with both sides of the Taiwan Strait.
“The United States remains committed to its one China policy, which is guided by the Taiwan Relations Act (TRA), the three Joint Communiques and the six assurances,” they said.
The spokesperson added that the US is committed to preserving peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait.
This was not the first time Trump had said he might discuss arms sales to Taiwan with Xi.
He made similar remarks in February in response to a question about Xi’s objections to US arms sales to Taiwan.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Tuesday declined to directly answer questions about whether Trump’s remarks about discussing arms sales to Taiwan with Xi would contravene US policy.
Alex Huang (黃重諺), an adviser to the National Security Council and former Presidential Office spokesman, told a radio program on Tuesday that Taiwan was not at all concerned about the Trump administration changing its policy toward Taiwan.
“The state department and the White House have both made it clear that US policy toward Taiwan has not changed,” Huang said.
The Three Joint Communiques are diplomatic documents issued by the US and China in 1972, 1979 and 1982 that established official bilateral relations.
The TRA, signed into law by then-US president Jimmy Carter in 1979 after the severing of official diplomatic ties, commits the US to providing Taiwan with arms and training to it requires maintain a self-defense capability.
In Beijing, China’s Taiwan Affairs Office yesterday reiterated its opposition to US arms sales to Taiwan, calling on Washington to honor its commitments ahead of Trump’s arrival.
“We firmly oppose the US engaging in any form of military ties with China’s Taiwan region, and firmly oppose the US selling weapons to China’s Taiwan region. This position is consistent and unequivocal,” office spokeswoman Zhang Han (張?) said.
Taiwan is the “core of China’s core interests” and honoring the commitments made by successive US administrations are “international obligations that the US side is duty-bound to fulfill,” Zhang said.
Additional reporting by Reuters
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