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US Congressman Ro Khanna slams Trump on Taiwan policy
His remarks followed President Donald Trump’s comments about consulting with Chinese leader Xi Jinping regarding arms sales to Taiwan
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IANS - Tue, 17, Feb 2026
- 22:03 EST
- 20
Congressman Ro Khanna / X/@RepRoKhanna
A senior Democratic lawmaker has sharply criticised President Donald Trump over remarks suggesting he discussed future U.S. arms sales to Taiwan with Chinese President Xi Jinping, calling the move a break from long-standing American policy.
Indian American Congressman Ro Khanna, Ranking Member of the House Select Committee on the Strategic Competition Between the United States and the Chinese Communist Party, said Feb. 17 that Trump’s comments were “alarming.”
“Trump’s admission that he is discussing future U.S. arms sales to Taiwan with Xi is alarming and a blatant violation of U.S. policy and the Six Assurances,” Khanna said in a statement.
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His remarks followed President Donald Trump’s comments about consulting with Chinese leader Xi Jinping regarding arms sales to Taiwan — an issue that sits at the heart of U.S.-China strategic tensions.
Khanna argued that such consultations would run counter to established U.S. commitments toward Taiwan, particularly the so-called Six Assurances, a set of policy principles dating back to the Reagan administration.
“His statement shows just how Trump treats Taiwan as a ‘bargaining chip’ in trade negotiations with China. It shows he is more eager to make bad deals with America’s strategic competitors than strengthen ties with long-standing friends like Taiwan. It is not only an affront to the security of Taiwan’s 23 million people, but a stain on America’s global credibility,” Khanna said.
He urged the White House to provide clarity and reaffirm continuity in policy.
“I urge the President to reaffirm our commitment to the Six Assurances and clarify that our policy on Taiwan has not changed. Taiwan must be off the table.”
The Six Assurances are six policy principles the U.S. has committed to during every administration since President Reagan. Among them, the second Assurance states that the U.S. did not agree to consult Beijing on arms sales to Taiwan.
Unlike the Taiwan Relations Act, the Six Assurances are not yet codified into law. Congress is currently advancing legislation to codify these stabilising principles through the Six Assurances to Taiwan Act.
The Taiwan Relations Act, enacted in 1979 after Washington switched diplomatic recognition from Taipei to Beijing, provides the framework for unofficial U.S. relations with Taiwan and mandates that the United States make available defensive arms to the island.
Discover more at New India Abroad.
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