U.S. affirms commitments amid Trump's remarks on Taiwan arms sales

Washington, May 12 (CNA) The United States Department of State on Tuesday reiterated Washington's commitments to Taiwan after President Donald Trump seemed prepared to undermine one of those commitments in remarks on his pending meeting with Chinese leader Xi Jinping (習近平).

Speaking to reporters at the White House on Monday, ahead of his summit with Xi in Beijing from Wednesday to Friday, Trump was asked about Washington's longstanding support for Taiwan's defense, and he brought up the issue of U.S. arms sales to Taiwan.

"President Xi would like us not to, and I'll have that discussion. That's one of the many things I'll be talking about," Trump said.

If that were to happen, it would go against one of the main tenets of the Six Assurances to Taiwan issued by President Ronald Reagan's administration in 1982 -- a pledge by the U.S. not to consult Beijing on arms sales to Taiwan.

Asked by CNA whether the actions suggested by Trump's comments would violate the U.S. Six Assurances, a State Department spokesperson on Tuesday did not give a direct answer, instead reiterating the U.S.' long-held position on dealing with both sides of the Taiwan Strait.

"The United States remains committed to its one-China policy, which is guided by the Taiwan Relations Act (TRA), the three Joint Communiqués, and the Six Assurances."

The unnamed spokesperson added that the U.S. is committed to preserving peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait.

This was not the first time Trump had said he might discuss arms sales to Taiwan with Xi. He made similar remarks in February in response to a question about Xi's objections to U.S. arms sales to Taiwan.

Taiwan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) on Tuesday also declined to directly answer questions about whether Trump's remarks about discussing arms sales to Taiwan with Xi would violate longstanding U.S. policy toward Taiwan.

Alex Huang (黃重諺), an adviser to Taiwan's National Security Council and former Presidential Office spokesperson, told a radio program on Tuesday that Taiwan was not at all concerned about the Trump administration changing its policy toward Taiwan.

"The State Department and the White House have both made it clear that U.S. policy toward Taiwan has not changed," he said.

The three Joint Communiqués are diplomatic documents issued by the U.S. and China in 1972, 1979, and 1982 that established official bilateral relations.

The TRA, signed into law by former U.S. President Jimmy Carter on April 10, 1979 following the severing of official diplomatic ties, commits the U.S. to providing Taiwan with defense articles and services necessary to maintain a sufficient self-defense capability.

(Elaine Hou and Joseph Yeh)Enditem/ls