This weekend, Biden doubled down on the commitment he had made in May, saying the United States military would protect the democratically governed island claimed by China.
Asked on “60 Minutes” if the U.S. would defend Taiwan against an attack by Beijing, the president replied, “Yes, if, in fact, there was an unprecedented attack.”
When asked if he meant that U.S. forces would come to Taiwan’s aid, unlike in Ukraine, Biden responded, “Yes.”
Since establishing diplomatic relations with China in 1979, the U.S. has recognized Beijing as China’s sole legitimate government while maintaining unofficial ties with Taiwan.
Taiwan Ministry of Foreign Affairs said the nation would continue to strengthen its self-defense capabilities and deepen its close security partnership with the U.S., Reuters reported.
China was “strongly dissatisfied and resolutely opposed” to Biden’s remarks and had filed a formal complaint, Chinese foreign ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning said at a press conference in Beijing.
Ning added that Biden’s remarks sent a “seriously wrong signal” to separatist forces seeking Taiwan’s independence.
Under the 1979 Taiwan Relations Act, the U.S. is legally required to provide the country with defensive weapons. Still, it has a “strategic ambiguity” policy regarding how it will respond to Chinese aggression toward the island.
The interview with Biden was recorded last week while the president was in London for the state funeral of Queen Elizabeth II on Monday. Following the broadcast, a White House spokesperson stated that the U.S. policy toward Taiwan had not changed.
“The president has said this before, including in Tokyo earlier this year. He also made clear then that our Taiwan policy hasn’t changed. That remains true,” the spokesperson said.
Taiwan’s foreign ministry expressed its thanks to Biden for his reaffirming the “U.S. government’s rock-solid security commitment to Taiwan.”
Last month, U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi visited Taiwan, sparking a barrage of aggression from China in response, including the deployment of warships and fighter jets near Taiwan, reported The Dallas Express.
China has also launched missiles into the island’s waters, disrupting flights and shipping in one of the world’s busiest trade zones. Despite calls to de-escalate tensions, Beijing extended the exercises without specifying when they would end.
Taiwan warned on August 9 that Chinese military exercises are more than just a dress rehearsal for an invasion of the self-governing island but also reflect China’s ambitions to control large swaths of the Western Pacific.
Although Pelosi and the Biden administration have stated that the U.S. remains committed to the “one-China” policy, which recognizes Beijing but also allows for informal relations and defense ties with Taipei, China views Pelosi’s visit to the island as recognition of Taiwan’s sovereignty.
Jing Quan, a Chinese Embassy minister in Washington, said Pelosi’s mission to support Taiwan’s democratic government has had a “significant impact on the political foundation of China-US relations. It “seriously infringed on China’s sovereignty and (territorial) integrity, and… undermines peace and stability across the Taiwan Straits.”
