U.S. House Committee Backs Bills to Codify “Six Assurances” and Support Taiwan’s Partners
On September 18, the U.S. House Foreign Affairs Committee approved the State Department Reauthorization package, which includes two major pro-Taiwan bills: the Six Assurances to Taiwan Act and the Taiwan Allies Fund Act. Both were introduced by Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-IL), Ranking Member of the House Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party (CCP).
Codifying the Six Assurances
The Six Assurances to Taiwan Act, added to State Department Reauthorization by Rep. Greg Stanton (D-AZ), would codify into law the U.S. commitments first offered by President Ronald Reagan in 1982, including no end date for arms sales to Taiwan, no consultation with Beijing on such sales, and no U.S. mediation in cross-Strait disputes.
“America enjoys a strong and productive partnership with Taiwan—bolstered by collaboration in technology and defense, but always rooted in our mutual commitment to democracy,” Congressman Stanton said.
FAPA’s Taiwan Advocacy
Formosan Association for Public Affairs (FAPA) National President Dr. Su-Mei Kao welcomed the move: “The Six Assurances Act codifies long-standing U.S. policy and commitments, sending a clear and unmistakable message of deterrence: Taiwan is not up for negotiation.”
Following its recent National Advocacy Conference (NAC), FAPA members held over 100 meetings with congressional staffers during Advocacy Days to push for pro-Taiwan bills, including the Six Assurances to Taiwan Act, as a way to bolster deterrence amid rising cross-Strait tensions.
Supporting Taiwan’s Partners
The Taiwan Allies Fund Act, added to State Reauthorization by Rep. Ami Bera (D-CA), would authorize up to US$120 million in foreign assistance from fiscal years 2026 to 2028 to support Taiwan’s diplomatic and economic partners facing Beijing’s coercive campaign to isolate Taiwan.
“By providing real resources to nations that support Taiwan, we are sending a clear message: the United States will defend sovereignty, support democracy, and invest in a free and open Indo-Pacific,” Congressman Bera said.
Bipartisan Signal of Support
“By advancing these bipartisan provisions, Congress is sending a clear signal: America will stand firm with Taiwan against coercion and intimidation from the Chinese Communist Party,” Ranking Member Krishnamoorthi said. “The Taiwan Allies Fund Act and Six Assurances to Taiwan Act strengthen the foundation of our partnership with Taiwan, combat CCP economic coercion, and reinforce peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific,” he added.
Sources:
[1] Select Committee on the CCP | Democrats
[2] Focus Taiwan
State Department Reaffirms AIT Stance on Taiwan
The American Institute in Taiwan’s (AIT) recent remarks that World War II-era documents do not determine Taiwan’s political status accurately reflect the U.S. position, the State Department confirmed.
AIT Rebukes Beijing’s Taiwan Claim
On September 13, responding to CNA, an AIT spokesperson said Beijing “intentionally mischaracterizes” World War II-era documents, including the Cairo Declaration, the Potsdam Proclamation and the Treaty of San Francisco, “to try to support its coercive campaign to subjugate Taiwan.”
“Beijing’s narratives are simply false, and none of these documents determined Taiwan’s ultimate political status,” the spokesperson said. “False legal narratives are part of Beijing’s broader campaign to try to isolate Taiwan from the international community and constrain the sovereign choices of other countries regarding their interactions with Taiwan.”
State Department Reaffirms U.S. Support
On September 15, the United Daily News reported that a U.S. State Department spokesperson reaffirmed AIT’s comments on Taiwan’s status. The spokesperson said that the U.S. will continue to support Taiwan against China’s military, economic, legal and diplomatic pressure, and that the U.S. firmly supports peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait and opposes any unilateral attempts to change the “status quo,” especially through force or coercion.
Former AIT Leaders Weigh In
Former AIT chairman Richard Bush and former AIT deputy director Robert Wang echoed this stance.
Wang noted that the Taiwan Relations Act (TRA) affirms the U.S. decision to establish diplomatic ties with the People’s Republic of China (PRC) “rests upon the expectation that the future of Taiwan will be determined by peaceful means.” He added that the TRA makes clear Taiwan’s status was not settled by any previous documents, including the World War II-era declarations or treaties.
Bush shared a similar view, stressing that the U.S. has long maintained that “cross-strait differences should be resolved peacefully and with the assent of the people of Taiwan.”
