TAIPEI (TVBS News) — In a significant move to bolster Taiwan's security framework, U.S. Representative Raja Krishnamoorthi on Thursday (May 15) proposed legislation that would codify the Six Assurances to Taiwan as official American policy. The bill aims to establish a congressional review mechanism that would reinforce decades-old commitments amid escalating cross-strait tensions.
Democrats on the House Select Committee on China emphasized that every American administration since Reagan has consistently reaffirmed these commitments. The Six Assurances include pledges that the U.S. will set no end date for arms sales to Taiwan, make no alterations to the Taiwan Relations Act, and conduct no prior consultations with Beijing regarding weapons sales to Taipei. They further guarantee Washington will not mediate between Taiwan and China, alter its position on Taiwan's sovereignty, or formally recognize Chinese sovereignty over the democratic island.
In his statement, Krishnamoorthi emphasized that formalizing these assurances would send a powerful bipartisan message to Beijing about American policy consistency and unwavering support for peace in the Taiwan Strait, the narrow body of water separating Taiwan from mainland China. Representative Young Kim, a co-sponsor of the legislation, noted that the bill underscores the critical importance of the U.S.-Taiwan partnership as both face mounting economic and security challenges from the Chinese Communist Party.
The proposed legislation has already secured backing from several influential congressional representatives across party lines. Key supporters include Representative Gregory Meeks, a senior Democrat on the House Foreign Affairs Committee, alongside Republicans Zach Nunn and Nicole Malliotakis, signaling strong bipartisan momentum for the measure as it moves through the legislative process.
The Six Assurances, first articulated by then-U.S. Ambassador to Taiwan James Lilley in 1982, were originally communicated through a confidential diplomatic channel. President Ronald Reagan outlined these principles in a private letter to Taiwan's then-President Chiang Ching-kuo (蔣經國), establishing what would become a cornerstone of U.S.-Taiwan relations for more than four decades despite the absence of formal diplomatic ties. ◼