TOKYO (AP) — President Joe Biden stated on Monday that if China invaded Taiwan, the United States would intervene militarily "Following Russia's invasion of Ukraine, the country has become even more powerful. It was one of the most emphatic pro-self-governance presidential speeches in decades.
When asked if he would be willing to fight militarily to defend Taiwan if China invaded, Biden responded "absolutely" at a news conference in Tokyo. "We made a pledge," he continued.
The United States has typically avoided offering such specific security guarantees to Taiwan, with which it no longer has a mutual defense treaty, instead opting for a strategy of "strategic ambiguity." "if China invaded, how far it would go The Taiwan Relations Act of 1979, which governs US-Taiwan relations, does not require the US to intervene militarily to defend Taiwan if China invades, but it does make it American policy to ensure Taiwan has the resources to defend itself and to prevent Beijing from unilaterally changing Taiwan's status.The mainland, which considers Taiwan to be a rogue colony, is sure to react angrily to Biden's remarks.Biden's remarks, according to a White House official, do not signal a policy shift.
Biden said any attempt by China to use force against Taiwan would be "simply not proper," adding that it "would dislocate the entire area and be another action comparable to what happened in Ukraine."
In recent years, China has increased military provocations against democratic Taiwan in an attempt to scare it into adopting Beijing's demands for unification with the communist mainland.
"They're flirting with danger right now by flying so near and doing all the maneuvers," Biden said of China.
The US acknowledges Beijing as the Chinese government and has no diplomatic connections with Taiwan under the "one China" policy. The United States, however, maintains unofficial contacts, including a de facto embassy in Taipei, Taiwan's capital, and contributes military weapons for the island's defense.
Biden stated that he "expects" China not to attempt a forcible takeover of Taiwan, but added that his opinion "depends on how plain the world makes that such action will result in long-term disapproval by the rest of the community.""
He went on to say that one reason Russian President Vladimir Putin should "pay a high price for his savagery in Ukraine" is to prevent China from attacking Taiwan.
Fearing escalation with nuclear-armed Russia, Biden quickly ruled out sending US soldiers into direct combat with the country, but he has sent billions of dollars in military aid to Ukraine, which has helped the country stand up to Russia's onslaught better than predicted.
It's not the first time Biden has promised to defend Taiwan from a Chinese attack, only for administration officials to later pretend that nothing had changed. "Yes, we have a commitment to do that," Biden said during a CNN town hall in October when asked if the US military would be used to defend Taiwan."
Biden made his remarks just hours before formally launching a long-awaited Indo-Pacific trade agreement that excludes Taiwan.
Taiwan is not among the countries that have signed up for the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework, which is intended to allow the US to work more closely with key Asian economies on issues such as supply chains, digital trade, clean energy, and anti-corruption. White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan confirmed this on Sunday.
China would have resented Taiwan's inclusion.
According to Sullivan, the US aims to strengthen its one-on-one commercial relationship with Taiwan.
[zombify_post]
0 Comments