May 23, 2022 (Walta) – President Biden said the U.S. would respond militarily to defend Taiwan if China tries to take it by force, sparking uncertainty over whether the U.S. was moving away from its longstanding policy of strategic ambiguity.
Biden’s comments were met with anger from Beijing and praise from Taipei.
Biden, speaking in Tokyo on his second day visit to Japan, said “yes” when asked if he was willing to get involved militarily to defend Taiwan if China invaded. “That’s the commitment we made,” he added.
“We agree with the One-China policy, we signed onto it and all the attendant agreements made from there,” Biden added.
“But the idea that it could be taken by force, just taken by force, is just not — it’s just not appropriate. It will dislocate the entire region and be another action similar to what happened in Ukraine.”
At the same time, Biden said that U.S. policy toward Taiwan “has not changed at all.”
They were also part of a pattern: In August and October of last year, the president answered questions on Taiwan by suggesting a break in U.S. policy toward the democratically self-ruled island, only to have aides jump in to say nothing had changed.
Over the past few decades, the U.S. has intentionally maintained a stance characterized as “strategic ambiguity” when asked whether it would come to Taiwan’s defense in the event of an attack by China.
However, since taking office in January 2021, Biden has repeatedly used language that appears to be divergent from this longstanding policy.
In August 2021, Biden told ABC News that the U.S. had “made a sacred commitment” to defend its NATO allies, and the same held for Taiwan.
At a CNN town hall event in October, 2021, CNN anchor Anderson Cooper asked if the U.S. would come to Taiwan’s defense in the event of an attack by China. Biden replied: “Yes, we have a commitment to do that.”
The west considers the Taiwan Strait “as an indispensable element in security and prosperity of international community.”
Taiwan’s Reaction
Taiwan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA), expressed the government’s gratitude toward Biden and his administration for reaffirming its rock-solid support for the country.
The latest comments once again highlight the fact that China’s increasing threat across the Taiwan Strait has raised widespread concern in countries around the world, said the ministry.
“Taiwan will continue to work with the U.S., Japan and other like-minded countries while beefing up its self-defense capabilities to jointly safeguard the rules-based international order in the Indo-Pacific region,” added the ministry.
China’s Reaction
China’s foreign ministry expressed “strong dissatisfaction and firm opposition” to the remarks, before adding that Beijing has no room for compromise or concessions relating to matters of sovereignty and territorial integrity.
“No one should underestimate the strong determination, firm will, and strong ability of the Chinese people to defend its national sovereignty and territorial integrity. Do not stand against the 1.4 billion Chinese people,” China’s foreign ministry said.