TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Republican delegates gathered on Monday (Aug. 24) at the 2020 Republican National Convention (RNC) in Charlotte, North Carolina to formally re-nominate President Donald Trump and reaffirm the party's 2016 platform, which contains a pledge to honor the Taiwan Relations Act (TRA) and Six Assurances, according to CNA.

Under the subhead “U.S. Leadership in the Asian Pacific,” the 2016 Republican Platform states, “We salute the people of Taiwan, with whom we share the values of democracy, human rights, a free-market economy, and the rule of law. Our relations will continue to be based upon the provisions of the Taiwan Relations Act, and we affirm the Six Assurances given to Taiwan in 1982 by President Reagan.” It is the first time that the Six Assurances was included in the Republican platform.

The party platform opposes any unilateral steps by either side to alter the status quo in the Taiwan Strait, stating that “all issues regarding the island’s future must be resolved peacefully, through dialogue, and be agreeable to the people of Taiwan.”

If China were to violate the principle, the U.S. will help Taiwan defend itself in accordance with the TRA, according to the platform, which also calls Taiwan "a loyal friend of America" that has merited “our strong support, including free trade agreement status and the timely sale of defensive arms.”