David Sacks

Honored to direct our @CFR_org Task Force report on Taiwan under the leadership of Mike Mullen and Sue Gordon, with a fantastic group of Task Force members. We call for a bolder U.S. strategy to advance its important strategic interests: cfr.org/task-force-rep…

There is debate in US about how the US should adapt its statecraft in response to growing pressure on cross-Strait status quo. Join Jude Blanchette and me on March 23 to explore options with @BonnieGlaser, @DavidMSacks1, @jekavanagh, and Matt Turpin. brookings.edu/events/cross-s…

David M. Sacks - The Realist The Life and Ideas of Hans Morgenthau À paraître en novembre chez Hurst

@NRO @jimgeraghty One can debate whether Trump’s statement is inconsistent with the Six Assurances, but this article links to a faulty source with the wrong wording. The Six Assurances state the United States “Has not agreed to consult with the PRC on arms sales to Taiwan” ait.org.tw/declassified-c…

The 1982 Six Assurances bar the US from consulting Beijing on Taiwan arms sales. Trump’s comments about Xi risk undermining that pledge. | @jimgeraghty nationalreview.com/corner/trump-i…

@PaulJHeer @PhelimKine @michaelturton Yes. To be clear, I think it is a mistake to consult with Beijing on arms sales to Taiwan, and Trump should not have said what he said, but we should also be accurate about what the Six Assurances say (and what they don't).

@DavidMSacks1 @PhelimKine @michaelturton According to this CRS report, there were at least three versions of the Six Assurances. None of them promised Taipei that Washington would never consult with Beijing on arms sales to Taiwan: congress.gov/crs_external_p…

This constitutes a blatant violation of one of the U.S. govt's "Six Assurances" to Taiwan: "The United States would not consult with China in advance before making decisions about U.S. arms sales to Taiwan" taiwandocuments.org/assurances.htm

@PaulJHeer @PhelimKine @michaelturton I'm happy to be corrected, but I believe a technical reading of the Six Assurances and the underlying cables indicate that our assurance in this respect was that we HAD NOT agreed to consult with Beijing on arms sales as part of the Third Communique (not that we WOULD NOT).

@DavidMSacks1 @PhelimKine @michaelturton Is it then the case the Washington never assured Taipei that it WOULD NOT consult with Beijing on US arms sales to Taiwan? And thus that Trump is free to do so?

@michaelsobolik I agree with you that Trump should not have said this, but I am not sure we can call this an explicit violation of the Six Assurances. The declassified document, which you link to, states: "Has not agreed to consult with the PRC on arms sales to Taiwan." Not "will not"

@ErikSperling @PhelimKine @michaelturton It was easy to mischaracterize for nearly 40 years because from 1982 until 2020 the Six Assurances were classified, so a mischaracterization could not officially be rebutted. But now the full cable and assurances are in the public domain.

@DavidMSacks1 @PhelimKine @michaelturton So then @PhelimKine is just objectively wrong? Are others making that mistake too? Seems like a pretty huge error to make, as the two phrases plainly have extremely different meanings. Why would people mischaracterize what it says when the true wording is not in dispute

@ErikSperling @PhelimKine @michaelturton Thanks, it’s not “alleged,” though, since I linked to the official cable. A/S Stilwell repeated that phrasing during his remarks when he announced the declassification of the Six Assurances: ait.org.tw/remarks-by-dav…

@DavidMSacks1 @PhelimKine @michaelturton That seems like a very major difference in the alleged wording, to say the least What accounts for that difference, and who is right about the wording? What implications does that difference in wording have? Appreciate anywhere you can direct me on these questions

@lnachman32 But that is not the wording of the Six Assurances. Since they were classified for nearly four decades the public record was distorted. Since 2020 you can see them: ait.org.tw/declassified-c… “Has not agreed to consult with the PRC on arms sales to Taiwan”

If weapon sales to Taiwan are openly on the table for US-China talks, then we are truly entering a new era of uncertainty. Even just Trump saying this out loud is trouble for the Lai administration and cannon fodder for American skepticism here in Taiwan.

"Taiwan’s bilateral trade surplus with the U.S. is set to continue to increase, differences over reshoring remain, and questions about the value of Taiwan’s currency are growing," writes expert @DavidMSacks1. "Whether the two sides can find common ground on these thorny issues will be a difficult task. on.cfr.org/4rhaL1p

Trump's actions against Venezuela will not change China's calculations over Taiwan cfr.org/blog/trumps-st…

"There are reasons to disagree with President Trump’s decision to strike Venezuela and seize Maduro, from his failure to consult Congress to his lack of planning for what comes next. Objecting to U.S. strikes on the basis that this will give China a green light to attack Taiwan, however, is misplaced," argues China expert @DavidMSacks1. cfr.org/blog/trumps-st…

A strong Taiwan that is confident in American support is a critical factor in maintaining peace in the region, argues @DavidMSacks1. foreignaffairs.com/taiwan/taiwan-…

A strong Taiwan that is confident in American support is a critical factor in maintaining peace in the region, argues @DavidMSacks1. foreignaffairs.com/taiwan/taiwan-…

“American negotiators can make a good deal with China that reduces tensions in the Taiwan Strait without selling out Taiwan,” argue Marvin Park and @DavidMSacks1. foreignaffairs.com/taiwan/taiwan-…

To “add much-needed stability to the Taiwan Strait,” the United States should seek to restore the status quo that existed before Nancy Pelosi visited Taiwan in 2022, argue Marvin Park and @DavidMSacks1. foreignaffairs.com/taiwan/taiwan-…

“To prevent China from attempting to take Taiwan by force,” write Marvin Park and @DavidMSacks1, “Washington must ensure that Beijing does not believe it can achieve its political aims at an acceptable military cost.” foreignaffairs.com/taiwan/taiwan-…

Washington’s neutrality toward Taiwan has helped maintain peace in the strait for decades, write Marvin Park and @DavidMSacks1. Today, any shift in that stance could embolden China and destabilize the region. foreignaffairs.com/taiwan/taiwan-…

President Donald Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping agreed to undo many of the tit-for-tat measures and countermeasures that they had introduced in recent months as they escalated the long-running U.S.-China trade war. Read analysis by @DavidMSacks1. cfr.org/blog/trump-and…