TOKYO: U.S. President Joe Biden said onMonday he would be willing to use force to defend Taiwan, aspart of a series of critical comments about China, but an aidesaid the remark represented no change in U.S. policy on theself-ruled island.
Biden’s comment, made during the his first visit to Japansince taking office, and as Japanese Prime Minister FumioKishida looked on, appeared to be a departure from existing U.S.policy of so-called strategic ambiguity on Taiwan.
China considers the democratic island its territory, part of“one China”, and says it is the most sensitive and importantissue in its ties with the United States.
When a reporter asked Biden if the United States woulddefend Taiwan if it were attacked, the president answered:“Yes.”
“That’s the commitment we made,” he said, during a jointnews conference with the Japanese leader. “We agree with aone-China policy. We’ve signed on to it and all the intendedagreements made from there. But the idea that, that it can betaken by force, just taken by force, is just not, is just notappropriate.”
He added that it was his expectation that such an eventwould not happen or be attempted.
Following Biden’s comments, a White House official saidthere were was no change in policy towards Taiwan.
The president’s national security aides shifted in theirseats and tilted their heads, studying Biden closely as heresponded to the question on Taiwan. Several looked down as hemade what appeared to be an unambiguous commitment to Taiwan’sdefence.
Biden made a similar comment about defending Taiwan inOctober. At that time, a White House spokesperson said Biden wasnot announcing any change in U.S. policy and one analystreferred to the comment as a “gaffe”.
The United States has long agreed that there is one China,including Taiwan, but it has adopted its “strategic ambiguity”on the question of whether it would get involved in militaryconflict over the island.
The remarks came as Biden made tough comments about China’sincreasingly assertive posture in the region, saying he hopedRussian President Vladimir Putin would pay a price for hisinvasion of Ukraine in part to show China what it would face ifit were to invade Taiwan.
The comments are likely to both infuriate Beijing andovershadow the centrepiece of Biden’s Japan visit, the launch ofan Indo-Pacific Economic Framework, a broad plan providing aneconomic pillar for U.S. engagement with Asia.
His trip includes meetings with the leaders of Japan, Indiaand Australia, in the “Quad” group of countries.
‘STRONG JAPAN’
Japan’s Kishida emphasised Tokyo’s readiness to take a morerobust defence posture, something the United States has longwelcomed.
Kishida said that he told Biden that Japan would considervarious options to boost its defence capabilities, including theability to retaliate, signalling a potential shift in Japan’sdefence policy.
That would include a “considerable increase” in its defencebudget, Kishida said.
“A strong Japan, and a strong US-Japan alliance, is a forcefor good in the region,” Biden said at the news conferencefollowing their discussions.
Kishida said that he had gained support from Biden onJapan’s becoming a permanent member of the U.N. Security Councilamid growing calls for reform of the council. China and Russiaare permanent members.
Worries are growing in Asia about an increasingly assertiveChina, particularly in light of its close ties to Russia, andtension has risen over self-ruled Taiwan, which China considersa renegade province.
