A bipartisan group of US representatives has introduced a bill to codify the “six assurances” as official US policy.
The six assurances to Taiwan act, introduced on Thursday by US Representative Raja Krishnamoorthi and five cosponsors, would also require congressional approval for any attempts to alter the guarantees.
The “six assurances,” which were given by then-US president Ronald Reagan to Taiwan in 1982, include pledges not to set a date for ending arms sales to Taiwan, not to hold prior consultations with China regarding arms sales to Taiwan, and not to play a mediation role between Taiwan and China.
Photo: AFP
They also include assurances that the US would not revise the Taiwan Relations Act, not take a position on the issue of sovereignty over Taiwan and not pressure Taiwan to enter into negotiations with China.
Members of the US House of Representatives Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party said in a statement that the “six assurances” have been reaffirmed by every US administration since Reagan.
The assurances are referenced in multiple laws and serve as a “cornerstone” of US policy toward Taiwan and a stabilizing force in the Indo-Pacific region, but have not been formally enshrined in US law, the statement said.
“Taiwan is a vibrant democracy and a critical partner to the United States, and it deserves clarity and certainty when it comes to our commitments,” Krishnamoorthi, the committee’s ranking member, was quoted as saying in the release.
“By codifying the six assurances, this bill sends a clear, bipartisan message: We will stand firm against coercion, support peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait, and ensure that US policy remains consistent, principled and rooted in law,” he said.
The bill was cosigned by US representatives Gregory Meek, Zach Nunn, Greg Stanton, Young Kim and Nicole Malliotakis.
If the bill advances through the House, it would also need to be passed by the Senate and then signed by the US president to become law.
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