US forces would defend Taiwan from the Chinese

US President Joe Biden said US forces would defend Taiwan from a Chinese invasion, the strongest indication yet of a shift away from Washington’s decades-long policy of strategic ambiguity towards the democratic island.

Asked in a television interview whether the American military would defend the self-governed island if China invaded, Biden said it would if there “was an unprecedented attack”.

Pressed to clarify further, Biden confirmed US personnel would come to the defence of Taiwan, unlike in Ukraine, which Washington has given material support and military equipment to repel Russia without committing American troops.
Biden’s comments are his latest to cast doubt on longstanding US policy towards Taiwan enshrined in the 1979 Taiwan Relations Act, which commits Washington to help Taipei defend itself but stops short of promising to provide troops or directly participate in any conflict.

During a trip to Japan in May, Biden appeared to confirm that he would use force to defend Taiwan if it was attacked by China, describing the defence of the island as a “commitment we made”.

China claims Taiwan as a province that must be “reunified” with the mainland, by force if necessary, and has accused the US of disrupting regional stability and encouraging Taiwanese separatism.

Beijing denounced Biden’s latest comments.
“The US remarks seriously violate the one-China principle … and send a severely wrong signal to the separatist forces of Taiwan independence. China strongly deplores and rejects it and has made solemn complaints with the US side,” said Mao Ning, the Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson.

“We will do our utmost to strive for the prospect of peaceful reunification with the utmost sincerity, while we will not tolerate any activities aimed at splitting China and reserve the option to take all necessary measures.”

While many observers have taken Biden’s comments as signalling the end of strategic ambiguity towards Taiwan, White House officials have repeatedly insisted that US policy towards the island remains unchanged.