US President Joe Biden says that Taiwan should decide its future for itself. That came on Tuesday, shortly after a virtual meeting between Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping.
Reporters asked President Biden if he and Chinese leader Xi Jinping spoke about Taiwan during the meeting. Biden said that he was clear about the US commitment to fulfilling the terms of the Taiwan Relations Act. The Taiwan Relations Act is a US law that governs Washington’s ties with Taiwan in the absence of formal diplomatic relations. The law does not recognize Taiwan, but it does allow the US to give Taiwan the resources it needs to defend itself.
Biden told reporters, “We are not going to change our policy at all. I said that they have to decide — ‘they’ — Taiwan. Not us. And we are not encouraging independence. We are encouraging them to do exactly what the Taiwan Act requires. That’s what we are doing. Let them make up their mind.”