The United States would use force to defend Taiwan from invasion. That was the word from US President Joe Biden on Monday.
Speaking at a press conference, Biden says the United States has already committed to defending Taiwan if it is invaded by China. He added that though the United States abides by its own one China policy, the idea that China could take Taiwan by force was “inappropriate.”
An unnamed top US official later clarified that US policy towards Taiwan has not changed.
Washington is legally obliged by the 1979 Taiwan Relations Act to provide Taiwan with the means to defend itself. But it is not bound to intervene militarily in a conflict over Taiwan.
For decades, US leaders have followed a policy of so-called strategic ambiguity. That means Washington does not rule out military intervention, but does not commit to it either.
Last October, Biden said that the US would defend Taiwan if it was attacked. At the time, his comments were passed off as a “gaffe.”