Democrats include U.S.' 'Six Assurances' in policy platform for 1st time

Chicago, Aug. 19 (CNA) The Democratic National Convention in Chicago approved the party's 92-page policy platform Monday, including an unprecedented commitment to the U.S.' "Six Assurances" to Taiwan.

In addition to incorporating a reference to Taiwan in a chapter on strengthening American leadership worldwide, the policy document also reaffirmed the Democrats' adherence to the U.S.' "One China" policy, its firm commitment to safeguarding peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait and opposition to unilateral changes to the cross-strait status quo.

"President Biden will also remain steadfast in America's commitment to peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait consistent with the U.S. One China Policy -- guided by the Taiwan Relations Act, the three Joint Communiques, and the Six Assurances -- in order to continue to ensure that there are no unilateral changes to the status quo from either side."

The Democrats conspicuously omitted any reference to Washington's "One China" policy in its 2020 party platform, mentioning only the Taiwan Relations Act.

The Six Assurances given to Taiwan in 1982 by the late former U.S. President Ronald Reagan are: The U.S. has not agreed to set a date for ending arms sales to Taiwan; has not agreed to consult with China on arms sales to Taiwan; will not play a mediation role between Taipei and Beijing; has not agreed to revise the Taiwan Relations Act; has not altered its position regarding sovereignty over Taiwan; and will not exert pressure on Taiwan to enter into negotiations with China.

Although the Republican Party first included the Six Assurances in its 2016 platform and again in 2020, there was no mention of Taiwan in this year's document.

In Taipei, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Tuesday expressed gratitude for the approval of the Democratic Party's 2024 platform, saying this highlighted the importance the party attaches to peace across the Taiwan Strait and that the importance of maintaining cross-strait peace has become an international consensus in recent years.

The wording in the platform shows the party's robust support for Taiwan, the ministry said in a statement.

Russell Hsiao (蕭良其), the executive director of the Global Taiwan Institute (GTI), said in an email interview with CNA that the reintroduction of the "One China" policy in the Democratic Party's platform reflects a return to a more traditional formulation of U.S. policy towards Taiwan and may be seen as a gesture of reassurance of the party's adherence to longstanding policy rhetoric on cross-strait relations.

The platform document was released after Mark Lambert, U.S. deputy assistant secretary of state in the Bureau of East Asia and Pacific Affairs, told a forum in May that the U.S.' "One China" policy is based on the Taiwan Relations Act, the "Three Joint Communiques" and the "Six Assurances."

According to Lambert, under its "One China" policy, the U.S. opposes unilateral changes to the cross-strait status quo, does not support Taiwanese independence, supports cross-strait dialogue and hopes that cross-strait differences will be resolved peacefully, without coercion, in a way that is acceptable to the people of both sides.