What is happening?
On September 18, the House Foreign Affairs Committee advanced a series of consequential bills into the legislative process as part of the broader U.S. State Department reauthorization package. Measures include a bill directly addressing one of the three foundational pillars of US-Taiwan relations — the so-called Six Assurances — a policy framework primarily oriented toward sustaining military and security cooperation between Washington and Taipei. The proposed legislation, titled the Six Assurances to Taiwan Act, enjoys bipartisan sponsorship from both Republican and Democratic members, though its passage in the coming months remains uncertain. Should it be enacted, the legislation would materially deepen U.S. foreign policy commitments and reinforce Washington‘s security partnership with Taiwan, which faces escalating strategic pressure from the People’s Republic of China (PRC). At the same time, the potential enactment carries inherent risks, including constraints on executive flexibility and on how the operational calculus of US-China-Taiwan interactions is shaped.
What is the broader picture?
In the context of Beijing’s sustained efforts to diplomatically isolate Taiwan and prevent it from establishing formal relations with other states, Taipei’s interactions with international actors remain an exceptionally sensitive foreign policy issue. Consequently, the Republic of China (Taiwan) is formally recognized as a sovereign state by only eleven UN member states and The Holy See in Vatican. In establishing diplomatic relations with the PRC in 1979, the United States likewise avoided formally recognizing Taiwan. Through a distinct legal-political framework, however, Washington unilaterally defined the contours of its unofficial bilateral relations with its critical security partner. This policy framework is anchored in three pillars: the Taiwan Relations Act (TRA), the Three Joint Communiqués, and the Six Assurances. The latter, established in 1982, sets out six core principles of U.S. foreign policy, designed to reassure both Taiwan and Congress during the normalization of US-China relations that Washington would maintain steadfast support for Taipei.
Under the Six Assurances, the US committed to an independent approach toward Taiwan, particularly regarding arms sales and the interpretation of the TRA, without further consultation with Beijing. It explicitly rejected the role of mediator across the Taiwan Strait and did not recognize Chinese sovereignty over the island. Furthermore, the assurances emphasized that Taiwan’s status should be resolved peacefully by the “Chinese” themselves. These principles carry significant legal and diplomatic implications for interactions among all three actors, and have been tied to executive authority since their inception.
The proposed legislation seeks to mitigate certain risks posed by the unpredictable foreign policy behavior of President Donald Trump, whose actions since the start of his second term have strained US-Taiwan relations. Recent U.S. measures — including the decision to break with recent precedent in rejecting a stopover for Taiwan’s President William Lai (賴清德) in August, the imposition of high tariffs, a proposed 100% tax on semiconductors, the cancellation of senior defense meetings, and the apparent withdrawal of promised military assistance in favor of arms sales—signal potential concessions to Beijing that could embolden more aggressive PRC policies toward Taiwan. These developments have prompted Congressional action to safeguard U.S. interests and Taiwan’s security.
Currently, the Six Assurances occupy a somewhat ambiguous legal status, often misunderstood due to the lack of a formal international treaty or binding legal instrument. The proposed legislation would codify these assurances into U.S. law, deliberately constraining executive discretion. The primary objectives of this codification are to deter Beijing and reinforce Taiwan’s confidence in the status quo within the Taiwan Strait. The bill primarily stipulates that no current or future U.S. administration may alter the established principles of U.S. policy toward Taiwan without Congressional approval from both chambers. If enacted, the act would formalize and strengthen U.S. security commitments to Taiwan, ensuring that the bilateral relationship between these two key Pacific partners is insulated from the vicissitudes of US-China interactions.
Why does it matter?
For a variety of strategic and operational reasons — such as the limited flexibility of decision-making under rapidly evolving circumstances — Congressional intervention in U.S. policy toward Taiwan carries notable risks. Over the past five decades, the executive branch has carefully managed these highly sensitive issues, contributing to sustained stability and long-term peace in the Taiwan Strait. The current administration, however, demonstrates neither a consistent inclination toward caution nor stability, and Trump’s positions on Taiwan are particularly volatile and unpredictable. In response, Congress is actively seeking to stabilize the situation, mend the strained US-Taiwan relationship, and prevent potential overreach or excessive concessions by current or future administrations in dealings with Beijing, which is exerting mounting geopolitical pressure on Washington. The newly proposed legislation could play a pivotal role in achieving these objectives, though its impact will depend heavily on the precision of its drafting and its effective implementation. If enacted, the measure would constitute the most significant formal adjustment to US-Taiwan relations in several decades, effectively codifying long-standing policy and constraining executive discretion.