U.S. To Intervene Militarily To Protect Taiwan From China's Attack

President Joe Biden said Monday that the US would intervene militarily if China were to invade Taiwan, saying the burden to protect Taiwan is "even stronger' after Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

Photo Insert: US President Joe Biden was welcomed warmly by Prime Minister Kishida and Mrs. Kishida with a tea ceremony and dinner.

It was the most forceful presidential statement in support of Taiwan in decades, Josh Boak, Aamer Madhani, and Zeke Miller reported for the Associated Press (AP).

Trevor Hunnicutt and Sakura Murakami of Reuters also reported that in his Tokyo briefing, Biden said “yes” when asked if he was willing to get involved militarily to defend Taiwan if China invaded.

“That’s the commitment we made,” he added. When a reporter asked Biden during a joint news conference with the Japanese leader if the United States would defend Taiwan if it were attacked, the president answered: "Yes. That's the commitment we made."

He added: "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."

The US traditionally has avoided making such an explicit security guarantee to Taiwan, with which it no longer has a mutual defense treaty, instead of maintaining a policy of “strategic ambiguity" about how far it would be willing to go if China invaded.

The 1979 Taiwan Relations Act, which has governed US relations with the island, does not require the US to step in militarily to defend Taiwan if China invades, but makes it American policy to ensure Taiwan has the resources to defend itself and to prevent any unilateral change of status in Taiwan by Beijing.

Speaking alongside Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, Biden said any effort by China to use force against Taiwan would “just not be appropriate,” adding that it “will dislocate the entire region and be another action similar to what happened in Ukraine.”

China has stepped up its military provocations against democratic Taiwan in recent years aimed at intimidating it into accepting Beijing's demands to unify with the communist mainland. Biden's comments drew a sharp response from the mainland, which has claimed Taiwan to be a rogue province.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin expressed “strong dissatisfaction and resolute opposition" to Biden's comments. “China has no room for compromise or concessions on issues involving China’s core interests such as sovereignty and territorial integrity."

He added: "China will take firm action to safeguard its sovereignty and security interests, and we will do what we say.” A White House official said Biden’s comments did not reflect a policy shift.

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