Biden: US will defend Taiwan if China invades

US President Joe Biden said in an interview broadcast by CBS on Sunday that US forces will defend Taiwan if China invades it.

However, a White House spokesman confirmed to AFP late on Sunday that US policy towards Taiwan “has not changed”.

Asked whether the Americans would defend Taiwan in the event of a Chinese invasion, Biden replied during the interview: “Yes, if there is an unprecedented attack.”

Biden stressed that his position was not to “encourage” Al Jazeera to declare independence, saying, “This is their decision.”

In a first reaction, Beijing called Biden’s remarks about Taiwan a “grave violation” of Washington’s policy on the island.

“This is a serious violation of the United States’ important commitment not to support Taiwan’s independence and sends a wrong and dangerous message to pro-Taiwan independence separatist forces,” the foreign ministry spokesman told reporters. .

China considers Taiwan, with 24 million inhabitants, as part of its territory and does not rule out a return to its sovereignty, even by force, as long as the island enjoys a democratic regime.

Asked whether the United States would defend Taiwan, the US president said in May that he would do so until the White House confirmed there were no changes to Washington’s “strategic” non-interference policy.

Beijing opposes any initiative to give international legitimacy to the Taiwanese government and any official communication between Taiwan and other countries, for which it opposes the visit to the island of the Speaker of the United States House of Representatives, Nancy Pelosi.

Although US officials regularly visit Taiwan, which is separated from mainland China by a narrow strip of water, Beijing saw Pelosi’s visit as a major provocation.

After Pelosi’s visit, China carried out massive exercises that continued for several days on Taiwanese territory.