The executive committee of the US-based Association of State Democratic Committees on Wednesday passed a resolution reaffirming Washington’s commitment to Taiwan on the 40th anniversary of the enactment of the Taiwan Relations Act.
The resolution was passed on the first day of the association’s four-day winter meeting in Washington. The group is comprised of state chairs and vice chairs of Democratic US states.
The Taiwan Relations Act, which was signed into law on April 10, 1979, and the “six assurances” issued by then-US president Ronald Reagan in 1982 have been the cornerstones of US policy toward Taiwan, the committee said.
Photo: Huang Yao-cheng, Taipei Times
“The US and Taiwan have forged ever-closer economic and security relations over the last four decades based on their shared commitment to democracy, freedom, the rule of law and free-market principles,” the committee said.
The Taiwan-US partnership is critical for the promotion of prosperity, democratic values and security throughout the Asia-Pacific region, it said.
In the resolution, the committee reaffirmed that the “six assurances” and the Taiwan Relations Act “are and will remain cornerstones of US relations with Taiwan,” adding that it also supports Taiwan’s democracy and freedom, and a robust Taiwan-US partnership through economic, security and cultural ties.
The “six assurances” stipulate that the US would not set a date for ending arms sales to Taiwan; would not alter the Taiwan Relations Act; would not hold consultations with China over arms sales to Taiwan; would not mediate between Taiwan and China; would not pressure Taiwan to negotiate with China; and would not formally recognize Chinese sovereignty over Taiwan.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs yesterday issued a press release thanking the association for the resolution’s passage, saying that it demonstrates the Democratic Party’s firm support of US-Taiwan relations.
The association has long maintained friendly ties with Taiwan, the ministry said, citing as examples its passage of resolutions supporting Taiwan’s participation at the International Civil Aviation Organization Assembly in 2013 and the World Health Assembly in 2017.
It is the first time the association has passed a resolution regarding the Taiwan Relations Act and the “six assurances,” the ministry said, adding that it carries particular significance given that Taipei and Washington are celebrating the 40th anniversary of the act’s enactment.
Meanwhile, the ministry yesterday also thanked US Indo-Pacific Commander Admiral Philip Davidson for on Tuesday reiterating in a written statement to the US Senate Committee on Armed Services the US’ commitment to Taiwan in accordance with the Taiwan Relations Act.
Davidson also expressed in the statement the US’ concerns about China’s military buildup across the Taiwan Strait, as well as its opaqueness about its military capabilities and capacity, and its unwillingness to preclude the use of force to resolve the cross-strait issue.
He also said that Chinese President Xi Jinping’s (習近平) proposed solution of a “one country, two systems” approach to unification does not reflect the wishes of both nations.
Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) is aware that Beijing’s treatment of Hong Kong has weakened any possible sentiment for a “one country, two systems” arrangement for Taiwan, and has instructed Chinese Communist Party (CCP) politburo member Wang Huning (王滬寧) to develop new ways of defining cross-strait relations, Japanese news magazine Nikkei Asia reported on Thursday. A former professor of international politics at Fu Dan University, Wang is expected to develop a dialogue that could serve as the foundation for cross-strait unification, and Xi plans to use the framework to support a fourth term as president, Nikkei Asia quoted an anonymous source
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