WASHINGTON—Ahead of the president’s upcoming trip to Asia, House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Ed Royce (R-CA) and the committee’s Ranking Member Eliot Engel (D-NY) sent a letter to President Trump urging him to reiterate the U.S. commitment to the Taiwan Relations Act and the Six Assurances publicly, proactively and consistently.

In the letter, Royce and Engel write: “The U.S. and Taiwan have fostered a close relationship that has been of significant strategic and economic benefit to both nations; and our two peoples are bound by shared values of democracy, human rights, and rule of law.  We hope you will remain mindful of our vital partnership with Taiwan –our tenth largest trading partner, and a steadfast and loyal friend of the U.S.”  The letter concludes: “During your upcoming visit to China, we urge you to reiterate the U.S. commitment to the Taiwan Relations Act and the Six Assurances publicly, proactively and consistently.  Your reaffirmation of these policies will reinforce longstanding U.S. policy on Taiwan in your upcoming conversations in the Asia-Pacific region.”

Full text of the letter is available below or here:

November 2, 2017

The President
The White House
Washington, D.C. 20500

Dear Mr. President:

As Chairman and Ranking Member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, we are writing to express our views on U.S.-Taiwan relations before you embark on your first official visit to Asia. The U.S. and Taiwan have fostered a close relationship that has been of significant strategic and economic benefit to both nations; and our two peoples are bound by shared values of democracy, human rights, and rule of law.  We hope you will remain mindful of our vital partnership with Taiwan –our tenth largest trading partner, and a steadfast and loyal friend of the U.S.

U.S. Congressional commitment to Taiwan has always been deep and bipartisan.  The Taiwan Relations Act, enacted by Congress in 1979, has defined the U.S.-Taiwan relationship for the last thirty-eight years, and been instrumental in maintaining peace, security, and stability in the Taiwan Strait.  This act, together with President Reagan’s Six Assurances, form the cornerstone of our relations with Taiwan, which should only be determined by Washington and Taipei, and should not be subject to negotiation with Beijing. 

The Taiwan Relations Act stipulates that it is U.S. policy to consider “any effort to determine the future of Taiwan by other than peaceful means to be a threat to the peace and security of the Western Pacific and of grave concern to the United States.”  Recently, Taiwan has faced increasing intimidation from Beijing.  Therefore, we ask you to impress upon Chinese President Xi Jinping that the U.S. has an enduring interest in ensuring that all matters regarding Taiwan’s future are resolved peacefully, through dialogue, and agreeable to the people of Taiwan.

During your upcoming visit to China, we urge you to reiterate the U.S. commitment to the Taiwan Relations Act and the Six Assurances publicly, proactively and consistently.  Your reaffirmation of these policies will reinforce longstanding U.S. policy on Taiwan in your upcoming conversations in the Asia-Pacific region.

Sincerely,

EDWARD R. ROYCE
Chairman

ELIOT L. ENGEL
Ranking Member

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