《TAIPEI TIMES》 US senators introduce TRA resolution

The US national flag flies atop the US Capitol in Washington in an undated photograph. Photo: AFP

‘NON-NEGOTIABLE’: Failure to follow through with US obligations to Taiwan could cost countless lives and trigger a global economic downturn, a US senator warned

By Kayleigh Madjar / Staff writer A bipartisan group of US senators on Friday introduced a resolution reaffirming the Taiwan Relations Act （TRA） and the US’ obligation to provide arms of a defensive nature to Taiwan, amid reports that the White House might pause a planned US$14 billion arms sale.

Since his meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping （習近平） earlier this month, US President Donald Trump has declined to say whether his administration would move forward with the sale, saying that it is a “very good negotiating chip for us.”

On Thursday, The Hill reported that a Pentagon official told a US Senate subcommittee that Washington was pausing the sale to ensure sufficient munitions for its war in Iran.

US senators Jeanne Shaheen and Thom Tillis introduced the resolution on Friday, joined by US senators Chris Coons and Susan Collins as cosponsors.

The TRA “is the cornerstone of the United States-Taiwan relationship, which has been characterized by broad and enduring bipartisan support,” the resolution states.

Washington’s decision to establish diplomatic relations with Beijing “rests upon the expectation that the future of Taiwan will be determined by peaceful means,” it says.

Any effort to determine that by other than peaceful means, including boycotts or embargoes, is “a threat to regional peace and security, and of grave concern to the United States,” it adds.

Key elements of US policy that have “stood the test of time” include providing Taiwan with defensive arms and maintaining the US’ capacity to resist any force or coercion over the people of Taiwan, whether it is a security, economic or social threat, the resolution says.

It specifically emphasizes the “six assurances” made during the administration of then-US president Ronald Reagan in 1982, which include that the US “did not agree to set a date for ending arms sales to Taiwan” and “did not agree to prior consultation with the People’s Republic of China [PRC] on arms sales to Taiwan.”

“America’s support for Taiwan is non-negotiable,” Shaheen was quoted as saying in a US Senate Committee on Foreign Relations statement, accusing Trump of failing to defend US obligations to provide for Taiwan’s defense.

“The president’s failure has real costs for Americans by inviting aggression from the PRC that could cost countless lives and trigger an enormous global economic downturn,” she said, calling on the administration to formally notify the US$14 billion in arms sales that Congress pre-approved in January.

Tillis said Taiwan is one of the US’ strongest democratic partners in the Indo-Pacific region and plays a critical role in promoting regional stability in the face of growing Chinese aggression.

“The US must continue to stand firmly alongside the Taiwanese people, and reaffirm our commitment to Taiwan’s security and right to self-determination free from coercion or intimidation,” he said.

新聞來源：TAIPEI TIMES