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U.S. military forces would defend Taiwan if there was “an unprecedented attack,” President Joe Biden said, underscoring America’s commitment to the island as Chinese incursions mount near its shores.
Biden, speaking in a “60 Minutes” interview that aired Sunday, distanced himself from the question of whether Taiwan is or should be independent, but followed up with a pledge when asked by interviewer Scott Pelley if U.S. forces would “defend the island.”
“Yes, if in fact there was an unprecedented attack,” he replied, according to a transcript provided by the broadcaster. Still, he reiterated earlier in the interview that the U.S.’s “One China policy” had not changed.
Read more: President Biden’s Vow To Defend Taiwan Is Bold but Incredibly Risky
“We agree with what we signed onto a long time ago. And that there’s One China policy, and Taiwan makes their own judgments about their independence. We are not moving — we’re not encouraging their being independent,” he said. “That’s their decision.”
Biden has made similar statements before, spurring outrage in Beijing by adding new chapters to Washington’s longstanding policy of “strategic ambiguity” when it comes to Taiwan. In May, Biden said “yes” when asked if the U.S. was prepared to become “involved militarily” if it had to. “That’s the commitment we made,” he said then, before White House officials walked back his comments.
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Source : time
