US President Joe Biden said on Monday that the United States would use force to aid Taiwan if it was invaded. But officials in Taiwan still say that the country can’t rely on help from others.
Joe Biden caused a stir this week by saying the United States would use force to defend Taiwan.
US officials later clarified that their Taiwan policy had not changed.
Taiwan’s defense minister Chiu Kuo-cheng says the country welcomes international support. Still, he says the country can’t rely on others. He emphasized that Taiwan must defend itself first before others can come to its aid.
Beijing might already be responding. On Wednesday, China sent four fighter jets into Taiwan’s air defense zone and conducted naval training close to Taiwanese waters.
Minister Chiu says these actions are in line with China’s recent behavior. He added that Taiwan’s military is monitoring the situation.
US officials are pushing Taiwan to change its defense strategy. They want Taiwan to focus on asymmetric warfare that would force China to pay a high price for invading. That’s why the US has hesitated to sell Taiwan conventional arms.
Chiu says that while this corresponds to Taiwan’s approach, the country can’t accept it without question.
He says Taiwan has its own opinions on defense and must evaluate its own capabilities.