US military would ‘defend Taiwan’ in face of Chinese invasion, says Joe Biden in candid interview | US News

US President Joe Biden has said US forces will defend Taiwan in the event of a Chinese invasion – his strongest words yet on the matter.

Asked in a TV interview whether America would defend the self-governing island claimed by China, he bluntly replied: “Yes, if there was really an unprecedented attack.”

The US has long followed a policy of “strategic ambiguity” and has not made it clear whether it will respond to this
military, to attack.

Asked if he meant that, unlike Ukraine, US forces would defend Taiwan against a Chinese invasion, Mr. Biden answered again, “Yes.”

The CBS 60 Minutes interview revealed that the president appears to be moving beyond longstanding US policy Taiwanwhich says it is committed to a one-China policy in which Washington officially recognizes Beijing rather than Taipei.

Biden’s remarks are sure to anger Beijing, which was angered by the US House Speaker’s visit to Taiwan Nancy
Pelosi back in August.

The visit prompted China to conduct its largest-ever military exercises around Taiwan.

Analysis: Pelosi’s visit may be futile and unnecessary as China and US seek to avoid war over Taiwan

Chinese President Xi Jinping has vowed to bring democratic Taiwan under Beijing’s control.
the use of force is not excluded.

In a telephone conversation with Mr. Biden in July, Xi warned against playing with fire over the island, saying “those who play with fire will die from it.”

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Asked last October whether the United States would defend Taiwan, the president said, “Yes, we have a commitment to do so,” but a White House spokesman said he was not actually announcing any policy change. US – and some experts condemned this comment as a “glitch”.