Joe Biden, the vice president of the United States, stated that US soldiers would defend Taiwan in the case of a Chinese invasion, his strongest statement yet on the matter.
The United States has long adhered to a strategy of “strategic ambiguity” and has not explicitly stated whether it would respond to an attack with force.
In a television interview, when asked if the United States would protect the Chinese-claimed, self-governed island, he responded, “Yes, if there was an unprecedented invasion.”
The United States has traditionally adhered to a strategy of “strategic ambiguity” and has not made clear whether it would respond to an attack with military force.
Asked to clarify whether he meant that, unlike in Ukraine, U.S. forces would protect Taiwan against a Chinese invasion, Mr. Biden repeated his affirmative response.
In an interview with CBS’s 60 Minutes, a president appeared to go beyond the United Professes’ long-standing position on Taiwan, which states a commitment to a One-China policy in which Washington formally recognizes Beijing and not Taipei.
Beijing is certain to be angered by Biden’s words, just as it was in August when US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi visited Taiwan.
China conducted its largest-ever military exercises around Taiwan in response to this visit.
President Xi Jinping of China has threatened to put Taiwan under Beijing’s control and has not ruled out the use of force to do so.
In a July phone conversation with Mr. Biden, Xi cautioned against playing with fire on the island, stating, “Those who play with fire will perish by it.”
Last October, when asked if the United States would come to Taiwan’s defense, the president responded, “Yes, we commit to doing that.” However, a White House spokesperson later clarified that the president was not announcing a change in US policy, and some experts criticized the remark as a “gaffe.”
