Taiwan-U.S. relations will decide Taiwan's future: FM

Taipei, Feb. 3 (CNA) Foreign Minister Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍) on Tuesday said Taiwan's relationship with the United States is of paramount importance to the country's future development despite the lack of official ties.

Speaking at a book event on the Taiwan Relations Act (TRA), published by Academia Historica, Lin said the TRA and the Six Assurances are key U.S. policy guidelines governing Washington-Taipei exchanges following the severing of ties in 1979.

"We have always said that Taiwan-U.S. relations are rock-solid, and the TRA and the Six Assurances are the foundation for these 'rock-solid' ties," Lin said.

Only last week, both countries signed a joint statement endorsing the principles of the Pax Silica Declaration at the conclusion of the 6th Economic Prosperity Partnership Dialogue (EPPD) held in Virginia, Lin said, referring to the U.S.-led initiative aimed at coordinating trusted supply chains for advanced technologies.

Hailing the latest EPPD and the signing of the joint statement as a "milestone" for bilateral relations, Lin said that Taiwan's ties with the U.S. are "closely related to Taiwan's survival and future development."

This is because the U.S. is Taiwan's most important partner militarily due to China's increasing coercion, he added.

Lin delivered the address as he attended the book event at the 2026 Taipei International Book Exhibition that kicked off early Tuesday.

The TRA, signed into law by former U.S. President Jimmy Carter on April 10, 1979, pledges to provide Taiwan with defense articles and services to help Taiwan maintain its self-defense capability.

Meanwhile, under the Six Assurances offered by former U.S. President Ronald Reagan's administration in 1982, the U.S. agreed not to consult with Beijing on arms sales to Taiwan and did not take any position regarding sovereignty over Taiwan.

The U.S. also promised it would never pressure Taiwan to negotiate with Beijing.