Ready To Defend Taiwan With Force If Attacked, President Biden: That's Our Commitment

JAKARTA - The President of the United States said he was ready to use force to defend Taiwan if it was attacked, on the sidelines of his visit to Japan to meet Prime Minister Fumio Kishida.

The remarks were part of a series of critical comments made by President Biden while in China, appearing to deviate from existing US policy of so-called strategic ambiguity in Taiwan.

China regards the island democracy as its territory, part of "one China", and says it is the most sensitive and important issue in its relations with the United States.

When a reporter asked President Biden during a joint press conference with the Japanese PM if the United States would defend Taiwan if attacked, President Biden replied: "Yes."

"That's the commitment we made", he said, as quoted by Reuters on May 23.

"We agree with the one-China policy. We have signed it and all the agreements are meant to be made from there. But the idea that, that it can be taken by force, that it can be taken by force, no, is not fair. It is not appropriate", he said.

He added he hoped that such an event would not happen or be attempted.

Following President Biden's comments, a White House official said there was no change in policy towards Taiwan. Meanwhile, China's Foreign Ministry said the United States should not defend Taiwan's independence.

President Biden made similar comments about defending Taiwan in October. At the time, a White House spokesman said he had not announced any changes in US policy, while one analyst called the comments a "mistake".

Despite the White House's insistence that Monday's comments do not represent a change in US policy, Grant Newsham, a retired US Marine Corps colonel and now a researcher at the Japan Forum for Strategic Studies said the meaning was clear.

"This statement deserves to be taken seriously", Newsham said.

"This is a pretty clear statement that the US will not sit idly by if China attacks Taiwan", he said.

While Washington is required by law to provide Taiwan with the means to defend itself, it has long followed a policy of "strategic ambiguity" about whether to intervene militarily to protect Taiwan in the event of a Chinese attack.

In addition, President Biden made another harsh comment on China's increasingly assertive stance in the region, saying he hoped Russian President Vladimir Putin would pay the price for his invasion of Ukraine in part to show China what it would face if it wanted to attack Taiwan.

"They are trying to strengthen their policies but without having to provoke China", said James Brown, a professor at Japan's Temple University.

Biden's remarks are also likely to cover the crux of his visit to Japan, the launch of the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework, a broad plan that provides the economic pillars for US engagement with Asia. Read more

It is known that during this visit, President Biden is also scheduled to hold a meeting with the leaders of Japan, India, and Australia, who are members of the security group 'Quad'.

Meanwhile, PM Kishida stressed Tokyo's readiness to take a stronger defense posture, something the United States has long welcomed.

PM Kishida said he informed President Biden that Japan would consider various options to enhance its defense capabilities, including the ability to retaliate, signaling a potential change in Japan's defense policy.

That would include a 'considerable increase' in his defense budget, said PM Kishida.

It is known that Japan's role in any conflict over Taiwan is to enable US operations and help defend its assets, said Yoji Koda, a retired Maritime Self-Defense Force admiral and former commander of the Japanese fleet.

"Japan's role in this will be very large. Japan is a supporter of security deterrence", he said.

For information, PM Kishida said he had obtained support from President Biden for Japan to become a permanent member of the UN Security Council, amid growing calls for reform of the council. China and Russia are permanent members.