Taiwan: Biden promises to defend the country against Chinese attack

Taiwan: Biden promises to defend the country against Chinese attack

During his tour of Asia, US President Joe Biden promised Taiwan military support. If China wants to “incorporate” the country, the US will supply weapons to Taiwan. A novelty: So far, such a promise was reserved for South Korea and Japan.

During his tour of Asia, Joe Biden promised military support to Taiwan. In the event of an attack, the US would defend the country, the US President said. China has no right to take Taiwan by force, Biden stressed at a joint press conference with Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida on Monday in Tokyo. China’s behavior, including military maneuvers and flights near the island, “flirts with danger,” Biden said. However, he does not assume that China will actually try to attack Taiwan.

When asked by a journalist whether the United States would also defend Taiwan militarily in the event of an attack, Biden said: “Yes.” When asked by the reporter, Biden emphasized: “This is a commitment that we have made.” Taking Taiwan by force would destabilize the entire region and be similar to what happened in Ukraine, Biden said, referring to Russia’s war of aggression. “We remain committed to supporting cross-strait peace and stability and ensuring there is no unilateral change in the status quo,” Biden said, referring to the strait between mainland China and Taiwan.

Arms shipments to Taiwan

Biden had already declared at the end of last year that the United States had an “obligation” to assist Taiwan in the event of an attack. 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 saw it as a violation of the “One China Doctrine”. With this “strategic ambiguity” by the US, Beijing should remain unsure of what the US would do in the event of war.

So far, the United States has reserved a formal declaration of military assistance in Asia for its close allies Japan and South Korea. The US armed forces also have a military presence there.

Source: Stern

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Latest Posts