Radio Taiwan International
Date: 2017-04-06

Members of the Congressional Taiwan Caucus in the United States have urged President Donald Trump to reaffirm the country’s commitments to Taiwan. That’s as Trump prepares to hold his first meeting with President Xi Jinping of China.

In a joint statement, caucus members called on Trump to confirm that the Taiwan Relations Act (TRA) and the Six Assurances are the cornerstone of US-Taiwan ties. The statement was released on Wednesday, a day before Trump hosts Xi at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida.

The TRA was passed by Congress on January 1, 1979, coinciding with the US recognition of Beijing as the government of China. It establishes the framework for the informal ties with Taiwan. Notably, the act requires the US to supply Taiwan with “arms of a defensive character.” It also says the US must maintain the capacity to “resist any resort to force” that would jeopardize Taiwan.

The Six Assurances, meanwhile, are promises the Reagan administration made to Taiwan in 1982. These include the assurance that the US will not mediate between Taiwan and China and will not recognize Beijing’s sovereignty over Taiwan.
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