U.S. President Joe Biden confirmed on Tuesday that Washington's policy towards Taiwan, based on "strategic ambiguity," has not changed, after making statements regarding the country's readiness to defend the island in the face of any Chinese invasion, which were considered indicative of a shift. When asked if this policy had ended, Biden replied, "No."
Biden stated, "The policy has never changed. I announced that when I made my statements yesterday," according to Agence France-Presse. The U.S. President noted on Monday that China is "playing with fire" regarding Taiwan, emphasizing that the United States "will help defend Taiwan against any Chinese invasion."
Biden affirmed, "The United States will respond militarily if China invades Taiwan. This is a commitment we made to ourselves." His comments came during a joint press conference with Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida in Japan, the second stop of his trip aimed at bolstering U.S. leadership in Asia in the face of rising Chinese influence and the nuclear threat posed by North Korea.
During his visit to South Korea, Biden spoke about the "global competition between democracies and authoritarian regimes," stating that the Asia-Pacific region "represents a major battleground." In response to Biden's statements, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin said that "the U.S. should not defend Taiwan's independence," as reported by Reuters. He added in a press briefing that "there is no room for complacency or concessions on issues related to China's sovereignty and territorial integrity." He emphasized that Beijing "is prepared to defend its national interests regarding Taiwan. No one should underestimate the firm resolve and strong will of the Chinese people to defend national sovereignty and territorial integrity."
