POMPEO’S CONTRAST: The US bill would reiterate the TRA and the ‘six assurances,’ while the secretary of state said that Taiwan had blossomed despite being sidelined

Taipei Times
Date: Jul 25, 2020
By: Staff writer, with CNA, WASHINGTON

The US Senate on Thursday passed its version of the US National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for next year, including provisions that support Taiwan’s participation in the Rim of the Pacific Exercise (RIMPAC), the world’s largest maritime warfare exercise, if appropriate.

The bill cleared the Senate floor in a 86-14 vote.

Provisions that include Taiwan are mentioned in sections 1258 and 1259 of the bill, which reiterates that the Taiwan Relations Act (TRA) and the “six assurances” provided by the US to Taiwan in July 1982 are “the foundation for United States-Taiwan relations.”

The “six assurances” were given by then-US president Ronald Reagan in 1982 and 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 be a mediator between Taiwan and China.
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