Joe Biden’s recent remark came as top US officials insisted on maintaining a decades-old policy toward Taiwan.
President Joe Biden stated on May 24 that Washington’s policy of “strategic ambiguity” toward Taiwan remained unchanged, a day after his statement about being ready to protect the island against a Chinese invasion implied a shift. Mr. Biden’s recent statement comes as top US officials insisted that a decades-old strategy to Taiwan be maintained. This involves equipping the democratic island for defense while recognizing China’s legal sovereignty and maintaining “strategic uncertainty” about whether American forces would ever intervene.
China Is Preparing To Invade Taiwan
The guarantees come after President Barack Obama stated “yes” when asked if the US would be prepared to intervene militarily in Taiwan’s defense during a news conference in Tokyo on May 23. Mr. Biden’s apparent widening of the US commitment was hailed by Taiwan, which is self-ruled and has a strong commercial relationship with the US, while China responded fiercely, claiming America was “playing with fire.”
Mr. Biden is in Tokyo for discussions with officials from the Quad countries of Australia, India, and Japan. Mr. Biden visited South Korea earlier this year as part of a mission to strengthen critical US commercial and military partnerships in Asia. Biden was unlikely to announce a new policy toward Taiwan on his trip to Japan, according to analysts. Still, his statement on Monday provided a glimpse into the president’s instincts in the case of a Chinese assault.
Biden said the US’s duty to protect the self-ruled island – which China deems a renegade province – was “even stronger” after Russia invaded Ukraine, speaking in Tokyo on the second day of his visit to Japan and against the scenery of increasing concern over Chinese military activity in the region.
