US President Joe Biden said on Monday (23), on a trip to Japan, that he will defend Taiwan if the country is attacked by China. The possibility of an invasion has been discussed more frequently since Russia invaded Ukraine in February.
“That’s the commitment we made,” said the American president. The statement was made during a press conference, the first visit to Japan since Biden took office.
The president’s comment is notable, as the United States has long pursued a policy of “strategic ambiguity” about whether it would intervene militarily to protect Taiwan in the event of a Chinese attack.
China regards the neighboring nation as its territory. After the US president’s announcement, China’s Foreign Ministry said the US should not defend Taiwan’s independence.
Biden made other comments about Beijing’s stance on the region, saying he hoped Russian President Vladimir Putin would pay a price for his invasion of Ukraine, and that it would show China what it would face if it invaded Taiwan.
For his part, retired Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force Admiral Yoji Koda said that the Japanese role in any conflict over Taiwan would be to allow and contribute to a US operation.
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