President of the United States, Joe Biden has averred that the power nation would intervene militarily to defend Taiwan if the island was invaded by China.
The U.S number one man, while speaking at a press conference in Tokyo with Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida during his first trip to Asia since taking office, aired his innermost concern over China’s growing assertiveness across the region.
According to Biden, the U.S. would go further on behalf of Taiwan than what it has done for Ukraine, where Washington has provided military help and intelligence assistance but no American troops following the Russian invasion in February.
“That’s the commitment we made,” he said when asked if Washington would intervene militarily against a possible attempt by Beijing to take control of Taiwan.
He added that “We agree with a One China policy. We’ve signed on to it and all the intended agreements made from there. But the idea that, that it can be taken by force, just taken by force, is just not, is just not appropriate.”
Biden did play down the possibility that China would try to seize Taiwan, saying that he didn’t expect it to happen.
It’s important to note that this is not the first time Biden has confirmed that the US would defend Taiwan if it was attacked. Recall thatlast year, he also noted it, while the White House stressed that the US won’t change its policy regarding this matter.
Local reports have it that tensions between China and the US have been brewing over the past months, amid growing deliveries of American weapons to Taipei.
Meanwhile, China has voiced protest over a number of US policies on the Taiwan issue: Most recently, the US Department of State edited its website, omitting the phrase “the United States does not support Taiwan independence”.
Reacting swiftly, Beijing urged the US to “stop engaging in political manipulation”, stressing “there is only one China in the world”.
It should be noted that Taiwan, which formally calls itself the “Republic of China”, has been governed separately from the rest of the country since the end of the civil war in 1949. Beijing considers the island to be a part of the People’s Republic of China, and while the US does not recognise Taiwan as an independent nation, Washington enjoys close relations with Taipei, delivering weapons and pledging to protect the island.
In recent months, local media suggested that American defence contractors had a backlog of $14.2 billion worth of military equipment that Taiwan bought back in 2019. According to the reports, less than 20 percent of the weaponry ordered has been delivered to Taipei due to “COVID-related acquisition issues”.
Addressing the backlog, Admiral Michael Gilday, chief of US Naval Operations urged Taiwan to boost its defence, citing a possible “aggression” by China in light of the crisis in Ukraine. It triggered a painful reaction in Beijing, with the Chinese Foreign Ministry stressing that Taiwan was none of America’s business.
Meanwhile, the White House has attempted to tone down Biden’s remarks about the military invasion. In a statement sent to reporters, an official said: “As the president said, our policy has not changed.”
“He reiterated our One China Policy and our commitment to peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait. He also reiterated our commitment under the Taiwan Relations Act to provide Taiwan with the military means to defend itself,” the statement read.
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