US Signals Willingness to Supports Taiwan

When a United States guided missile destroyer sailed through the Taiwan Strait on Sunday, it marked the second such transit in less than two weeks -- and among the clearest signals yet of Washington's willingness to stand up for Taiwan in the face of Chinese aggression.

On Monday, the US went further still, taking the cover off previously classified commitments it made to Taiwan during the Reagan administration.

Known as the Six Assurances, they spell out how US arms sales and diplomatic support to Taipei will move forward without regard to pressure from Beijing.

Though the US has remained a decades-long ally of Taiwan following the island's split from mainland China in the wake of a civil war, policymakers in Washington have traditionally refrained from overt displays of support.

China continues to view the self-governing democracy of almost 24 million people as an inseparable part of its territory, and has vowed to unify the island with the mainland.