Ranking Member Bera Presses Trump Officials on Taiwan Commitments, Raises Concerns About THAAD Redeployment

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, U.S. Representative Ami Bera, M.D. (CA-06), Ranking Member of the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on East Asia and the Pacific, pressed Trump administration officials on whether the United States remains committed to the long-standing Six Assurances that have guided U.S. policy toward Taiwan and raised concerns about the redeployment of THAAD missile defense assets from South Korea at a time of continued instability in the Indo-Pacific.

At the House Foreign Affairs Committee hearing titled “Reforming America’s Defense Sales,” Ranking Member Bera questioned Stanley L. Brown, Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Political-Military Affairs, and Michael P. Duffey, Under Secretary of War for Acquisition and Sustainment, on whether there has been any move to change the Six Assurances as they relate to U.S. arms sales to Taiwan.

Ranking Member Bera made clear that the Taiwan Strait remains one of the world’s most dangerous flashpoints and that U.S. support for Taiwan’s self-defense must not be negotiated with Beijing. His questions come as Taiwan continues to monitor the status of pending U.S. arms sales, including a second package that Taiwan’s defense minister said this week remains on schedule through the U.S. review process, and as Taiwan’s legislature has moved to allow previously delayed U.S. arms deals to proceed.

In response to Bera’s questions, Brown said he was not aware of any move within the State Department to change the Six Assurances. Duffey similarly said he was not aware of any change within the Department of Defense.

Ranking Member Bera also raised concerns about the redeployment of THAAD-related assets from South Korea, noting that the move comes amid continued threats from North Korea and broader regional instability. Recent reporting has indicated that parts of a THAAD system and other U.S. missile defense assets have been withdrawn from South Korea as military resources are redirected toward the Middle East, raising new questions about deterrence in Northeast Asia.

Ranking Member Bera emphasized that U.S. policy toward Taiwan must remain anchored in the Taiwan Relations Act and the Six Assurances, and that preserving peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait requires clarity, consistency, and resolve from Washington. That message comes as Taiwan continues to face sustained military pressure from Beijing, including renewed large-scale Chinese military flights near the island in recent days.

You can watch Ranking Member Bera’s full remarks here.

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