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| Joe Biden Calls U.S. Ready to Defend Taiwan If Attacked, China's Angry? |
edisiindonesia- United States President Joe Biden says US troops will defend Taiwan in the event of an invasion of China, his most explicit statement so far on the issue, something beijing is sure to anger.
Asked in a CBS 60 Minutes interview broadcast on Sunday (Sept. 18) whether U.S. forces would defend the self-governing island claimed by China, he replied: "Yes, if in reality, there is an unprecedented attack."
Reported by Channel News Asia, Tuesday (9/20/2022), when asked to clarify whether he meant that unlike in Ukraine, US troops - American men and women - would defend Taiwan in the event of a Chinese invasion, Biden replied: "Yes."
The interview was the last time Biden appeared to go beyond longstanding stated U.S. policy on Taiwan, but his remarks were clearer than previous ones about the commitment of US forces to defend the island.
The US has long been stuck on a policy of "strategic ambiguity" and has not made it clear whether to respond militarily to attacks on Taiwan.
When asked for comment, a White House spokesman said U.S. policy toward Taiwan has not changed.
"The president has said this before, including in Tokyo earlier this year. He also explained that our Taiwan policy has not changed. That remains true," the spokesman said.
Taiwan Responds With Pleasure
Taiwan's Foreign Ministry thanked Biden for reaffirming the US government's "strong security commitment to Taiwan".
Taiwan will continue to strengthen its self-defense capabilities and deepen the close security partnership between Taiwan and the United States, it said in a statement.
In May, Biden was asked if he would be willing to engage militarily to defend Taiwan and replied: "Yes ... That's the commitment we're making."
In a 60-Minute interview, Biden reiterated that the United States remains committed to a "One-China" policy in which Washington officially recognizes Beijing as not Taipei, and says the United States is not pushing for Taiwan's independence.
"We're not moving, we're not encouraging them to be independent ... it's their decision," he said.
China gets angry at US
Biden's remarks will surely anger Beijing, who was outraged by a visit to Taiwan by US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi in August.
The visit prompted China to conduct the largest military exercise ever around Taiwan and China has protested the move by US lawmakers to advance legislation that would increase US military support for Taiwan.
Chinese President Xi Jinping has vowed to bring democratically ruled Taiwan under Beijing's control and not rule out using force.
There was no immediate response to a request for comment from the Chinese embassy in Washington.
Xi Jinping Gives Warning to Biden
In a phone call with Biden in July, Xi warned against playing with fire in Taiwan, saying "those who play with fire will perish because of it".
Asked last October whether the US would come to defend Taiwan, which is required by law by the United States to provide a means to defend itself, Biden said: "Yes, we have a commitment to do that."
At the time, a White House spokesman said Biden had not announced any changes in US policy and some experts called the comments a "mistake".
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