conflicts
China angered by Biden’s declaration of support for Taiwan
US President Joe Biden making a press statement at the White House. photo
© Susan Walsh/AP/dpa
The US is helping Ukraine with money and weapons. But conflicts are also smoldering elsewhere: China is threatening to conquer Taiwan. How would the US react in the event of an attack? Biden answers clearly. China is upset.
China’s government has reacted with anger to US President Joe Biden’s pledge of support for Taiwan in the event of a Chinese attack. Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning told the press in Beijing on Monday that the statements were a “grave violation” of the “one China principle” and the commitments that the United States had made to Beijing. The US side is sending “the completely wrong signal” to the independence forces in Taiwan. “China is firmly against it.”
US President Joe Biden has again pledged military support to Taiwan in the event of an attack. “Yes, if there were actually an unprecedented attack,” said Biden in a TV interview when asked: “Would the US armed forces defend the island?” Biden took questions from Scott Pelley on 60 Minutes in Thursday’s taped interview. Pelley asked again: “So in contrast to Ukraine, to put it bluntly: US forces (…) would defend Taiwan in the event of a Chinese invasion?” Biden again answered in the affirmative.
Pelley explained on the show that after interviewing Biden, the White House clarified that US policy had not changed and the US would not officially say whether American forces would defend Taiwan. Biden made similarly clear statements on a trip to Japan in May, saying that the United States has an “obligation” to defend Taiwan in the event of an attack. At the beginning of August, US top politician Nancy Pelosi caused tensions with China with a trip to Taiwan.
The communist leadership in Beijing regards Taiwan as part of the People’s Republic and threatens to conquer it. The United States has committed itself to Taiwan’s ability to defend itself – which has so far primarily meant arms deliveries. The question of military assistance in the event of an attack was deliberately left open because Beijing would see this as a violation of the “One China Doctrine”.