President Joe Biden stated on Monday said that if China invaded Taiwan, the US would intervene militarily, adding that the responsibility to safeguard Taiwan is “much heavier” following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. It was one of the most powerful presidential declarations in decades in favor of self-government.
When asked if he was willing to get engaged militarily to defend Taiwan if China invaded, Biden responded “absolutely” at a news conference in Tokyo. He continued, “That’s the commitment we made.”
The United States has typically avoided issuing such an explicit security commitment to Taiwan, with which it no longer has a mutual defense treaty, instead opting for a policy of “strategic ambiguity” regarding how far it would go if China invaded. 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 the island’s status.
The mainland, which considers Taiwan to be a rogue colony, reacted angrily to Biden’s remarks.
Biden’s remarks drew “strong discontent and uncompromising resistance” from Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin. “On matters concerning China’s vital interests, such as sovereignty and territorial integrity, China has no space for compromise or concessions.”
“China will take firm steps to protect its sovereignty and security interests, and we will do what we say,” he continued.
Biden’s remarks, according to a White House official, do not indicate a policy shift.
Biden said any attempt by China to use force against Taiwan would “simply not be appropriate,” adding that it would “dislocate the entire area and be another action similar to what happened in Ukraine.”
In recent years, China has increased its military provocations against democratic Taiwan in an attempt to scare it into accepting Beijing’s demands for unification with the communist mainland.
“They’re flirting with danger right now by flying so close and undertaking all the maneuvers,” Biden said of China.
The United States acknowledges Beijing as China’s government and has no diplomatic connections with Taiwan under the “one China” policy. The United States, on the other hand, 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 strong the world makes plain that such action will result in long-term disapproval by the rest of the community.”
He went on to say that deterring China from attacking Taiwan is one of the reasons why Russian President Vladimir Putin must “pay a high price for his barbarism in Ukraine,” lest China and other countries think such behavior is acceptable.
Fearing escalation with nuclear-armed Russia, Biden quickly ruled out sending US forces into direct battle with the country, but he has sent billions of dollars in military aid to Ukraine, which has helped the country hold off Russia’s onslaught better than predicted.
Biden’s statements were greeted with enthusiasm in Taipei, with Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson Joanne Ou expressing “sincere welcome and gratitude” for the remarks.
“The international community is very concerned about China’s threat to the security of the Taiwan Strait,” Ou stated. “Taiwan will continue to improve its self-defense capabilities and deepen cooperation with the US, Japan, and other like-minded countries to jointly defend the security of the Taiwan Strait and the rules-based international order while promoting peace, stability, and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific region,” the statement said.
It’s not the first time Biden has promised to defend Taiwan from a Chinese attack, only for administration officials to pretend later that nothing had changed. “Yes, we have a commitment to do that,” Biden said at a CNN town hall in October when questioned about using the US military to defend Taiwan.
Biden made the remarks soon before launching a long-awaited Indo-Pacific trade pact that excludes Taiwan.
Taiwan is not a signatory to the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework, according to White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan. The framework 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.
China would have been irritated if Taiwan had been included.
According to Sullivan, the US intends to enhance its one-on-one commercial engagement with Taiwan.
