Washington, June 26 (IANS) The Trump administration reaffirmed that its long-standing policy towards Taiwan remains unchanged, even as it reviews a proposed $14 billion arms package for the self-governing island amid rising military pressure from China.
Appearing before the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on East Asia and the Pacific, Michael G. DeSombre, Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs, told lawmakers the administration remained committed to the Taiwan Relations Act and the long-standing framework governing US-Taiwan ties.
“Our long standing policy on Taiwan has not changed, which is guided by the Taiwan Relations Act, the three joint communiques and the six assurances,” DeSombre said.
He added: “We remain committed to preserving peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait and oppose any unilateral change to the status quo.”
Taiwan dominated much of the hearing, with Democratic and Republican lawmakers pressing the administration on military assistance, deterrence and China’s growing pressure on the island.
Representative Young Kim, who chaired the hearing, said the Trump administration and Congress had stood “firmly with Taiwan against daily CCP threats and coercion”.
She welcomed the administration’s approval of an “$11 billion arms package for Taiwan” and noted that Secretary of State Marco Rubio had informed lawmakers that “a $14 billion follow on package is now under review.”
Representative John “Johnny O” Olszewski Jr. questioned whether recent comments by President Donald Trump about discussing Taiwan arms sales with Chinese President Xi Jinping were consistent with Washington’s long-standing commitments to Taiwan.
Responding, DeSombre said Taiwan arms sales were routinely raised by Beijing during bilateral meetings.
“Whenever we meet with China, they raise the questions of Taiwan and Taiwan arms sales,” he said. “That is a part of almost every discussion that we have with them.”
He added, “That is not in any way a deviation from the six assurances.”
Pressed repeatedly on when the administration would notify Congress about the proposed $14 billion package, DeSombre said only that “the President is reviewing it and he’ll make that decision.”
Republican Representative Andy Barr defended the administration’s record on Taiwan, arguing that the already approved $11 billion package demonstrated an unprecedented commitment to the island’s defence.
Barr said the package included HIMARS rocket systems, ATACMS missiles, howitzers and drones, and argued that “there has never been an administration that has demonstrated the commitment to Taiwan” shown by the current one.
He also urged Congress to help address delays in delivering more than $32 billion worth of previously approved military equipment to Taiwan by strengthening the U.S. defence industrial base.
DeSombre agreed that expanding manufacturing capacity and facilitating investment in the American defence industry were essential to accelerating foreign military sales.
Young Kim also urged Taiwan to increase its own defence spending, noting that while its legislature had approved a $25 billion defence package, it had not fully funded capabilities such as drones.
DeSombre said the United States was encouraging Taiwan to approve additional budgetary support for further weapons purchases.
Under the Taiwan Relations Act, the United States provides Taiwan with defensive arms while maintaining a policy of “strategic ambiguity” over whether it would intervene militarily in the event of a Chinese attack. Beijing regards Taiwan as part of its territory and has stepped up military activity around the island in recent years.
Washington officially recognises Beijing rather than Taipei, but remains Taiwan’s principal security partner and largest supplier of defensive military equipment. Taiwan continues to occupy a central place in US-China relations and remains one of the most sensitive issues between the two powers.
–IANS
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