Trump backs 'Six Assurances' to Taiwan but gives no arms-sale timeline, US diplomat says
The top US diplomat for East Asia said Washington stands by its "Six Assurances" policy on Taiwan but offered no timeline for a stalled $14 billion arms package, the SCMP reports. Michael DeSombre told a House committee that US policy had not changed. The remarks come amid questions over commitments to Taiwan.
According to the South China Morning Post, Michael DeSombre, the US assistant secretary of state for East Asian and Pacific affairs, sought to reassure Taiwan that Washington stands by its "Six Assurances" policy.
DeSombre told a House Foreign Affairs Committee hearing that US policy on Taiwan had not changed, but he offered no timeline for approving a stalled $14 billion arms package. The remarks followed earlier comments by President Donald Trump on the policy.
Taiwan is among the most sensitive issues in relations between the US and China. Beijing regards the island as its own territory and opposes foreign arms sales. How Washington's commitments take concrete shape, and the fate of the arms package, will be watched closely by actors across the region.
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