In an unusually forceful presidential declaration in support of self-government that provoked a strong response from Beijing, Joe Biden declared the US would intervene militarily to defend Taiwan if it came under attack from China.
Biden said the US’ responsibility to protect the self-ruled island – which China considers a renegade province – was “even stronger” after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, speaking in Tokyo on the second day of his visit to Japan and against the backdrop of growing concern over Chinese military activity in the region.
On Monday, Biden compared China’s possible invasion of Taiwan to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine earlier this year, saying that “it will dislocate the entire area” and underscoring that “Russia must pay a long-term price for its conduct.”
And the reason I bother to say this, not just about Ukraine — if, in fact, after all (Russian President Vladimir Putin has) done, there’s a rapprochement … between the Ukrainians and Russia, and these sanctions are not continued to be sustained in many ways, then what signal does that send to China about the cost of attempting, attempting to take Taiwan by force?
Joe Biden, President U.S.A
China is “already flirting with danger right now” according to Biden, because of its close proximity and moves. “But the United States is committed, we made a commitment, we support the One China policy, we support everything we’ve done in the past,” he continued. Kishida also reiterated the importance of peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait during the press conference. “Attempts to alter the status quo through force, such as Russia’s aggression against Ukraine, should never be permitted in the Indo-Pacific, particularly in East Asia,” he warned.
“As the regional security environment becomes more severe, I reaffirmed with President Biden that we need to strengthen the Japan-US alliance’s deterrence and response as quickly as possible,” he said, adding that he expressed his dedication to “fundamentally strengthen Japan’s defence capability.”
Taiwan is only about 110 miles (177 kilometers) off China’s coast. Even though the fact that the two parts have been ruled separately for more than 70 years, China’s ruling Communist Party has claimed the island as its own despite never having had control of it.
Xi Jinping, the Chinese president, has stated that the “reunification” of China and Taiwan is unavoidable and has refused to rule out the use of force. Tensions between Beijing and Taipei are at an all-time high, with the Chinese military dispatching an unusually high number of warplanes near the island.
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