Biden Committed to Protecting Taiwan by Force;Blinken Reiterates U.S. Non-Support of Taiwan Independence

Summary Report by Taiwan Weekly

 

President Joe Biden of the United States made it clear at a press conference in Tokyo, Japan, on May 23 that if China used force, the United States would militarily intervene to defend Taiwan. It was one of the most forceful statements of an American president in support of Taiwan in decades. The White House immediately issued a statement denying the change in Taiwan policy. Secretary of State Antony Blinken also reiterated in his speech on May 26 that the “One China” policy remains unchanged, and the United States does not support Taiwan independence.

 

President Biden and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida held a joint press conference after their talks in Tokyo on May 23. A reporter asked Mr. Biden: "For obvious reasons, you didn’t want to get involved in the Ukraine conflict militarily. Are you willing to get involved militarily to defend Taiwan if it comes to that?" Mr. Biden answered clearly: "Yes." The reporter pressed: "you are?" Mr. Biden replied: "That's the commitment we made.”

 

Mr. Biden added that deterring China from attacking Taiwan was one reason why it’s important that Russian President Vladimir Putin “pay a dear price for his barbarism in Ukraine,” lest China and other nations get the idea that such action is acceptable.

 

Mr. Biden seems different from many of his predecessors getting used to ambiguous expressions on cross-strait issues. In August last year, after Mr. Biden decided to abandon the Afghan government, in order to reassure U.S. allies, he promised "we will respond" if North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) members were attacked, and went on to say "the same with Japan, South Korea, and Taiwan."

 

Two months later, when President Biden answered the question of "Would the United States come to Taiwan’s defense if China attacked?" on the CNN program, he responded twice, "Yes, we have a commitment to do that." Afterwards, the White House clarified that Mr. Biden had not changed the long-term policy of the United States.

 

Including this time in Japan, President Biden has already publicly stated three times that he would defend Taiwan if the mainland attacked. It seems that Mr. Biden has intended to use such edge-ball “gaffes” to deter the Chinese mainland. Director Su Tzu-yun of the Division of Defense Strategy and Resources, Insitute of National Defense and Security Research,  believes that Mr. Biden's move is not a gaffe, but "well staged." American strategy in the Taiwan Strait has gradually shifted to “constructive clarity”, sending a clear signal to thwart the mainland.

 

The White House immediately issued a statement: "As the president said, our policy has not changed." "He reiterated our 'One China' policy and our commitment to peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait. He also reiterated our commitment under the Taiwan Relations Act to provide Taiwan with the military means to defend itself."

 

Secretary Blinken delivered a speech on China policy at George Washington University on May 26, reiterating the "One China" policy of the United States, opposing any unilateral change of the status quo from either side, not supporting Taiwan independence, and expecting cross-strait differences to be resolved by peaceful means.

 

Mr. Blinken cited the president, stating that American policy has not changed, and the United States remains committed to its “One China” policy, which is guided by the Taiwan Relations Act, the three Joint Communiqués, and the Six Assurances.

 

Mr. Blinken added that Taiwan is a vibrant democracy and a leading economy in the region. The United States enjoys a strong unofficial relationship with Taiwan. The United States will continue to expand cooperation with Taiwan on many shared interests and values, support Taiwan's meaningful participation in the international community, and deepen economic relations with Taiwan.

 

The United States has traditionally avoided making explicit security assurances to Taiwan, while maintaining "strategic ambiguity" without specifying the extent to which the United States is willing to aid Taiwan in the event of a mainland Chinese invasion. The Taiwan Relations Act, which came into effect in 1979, does not require the United States to intervene militarily to protect Taiwan if the mainland launches attack. It only stipulates that the United States must ensure that Taiwan has sufficient resources to defend itself and prevent Beijing from unilaterally changing Taiwan's status quo.

 

At a press conference after the "Quad Security Dialogue" meeting in Tokyo on May 24, President Biden was asked by a reporter "Is the policy of strategic ambiguity on Taiwan over?" Mr. Biden responded directly: "No." The Reporter asked Mr. Biden to elaborate more, and he still answered "No." Another reporter went on to ask whether the United States would send troops if Taiwan were attacked, and Mr. Biden responded: "The policy hasn't changed at all, and I stated that when I made the statement."

 

Secretary Blinken indicated that U.S. policy has not changed, but China has changed. Beijing has forced Taiwan to cut off relations with its diplomatic allies, blocked Taiwan’s space for participating in international organizations, and flied People’s Liberation Army (PLA) fighter jets near Taiwan on an almost daily basis. All kinds of Beijing’s provocative actions and words have seriously undermined regional stability. They will cause the risk of miscalculation and threaten the peace and stability of the Taiwan Strait.

 

Mr. Blinken stated that maintaining peace and stability is not only a U.S. interest, but also an issue of international concern. "We have prioritized crisis communication and risk reduction measures with Beijing." He indicated that on various issues including Taiwan, the United States remains committed to intense diplomacy with Beijing alongside fierce competition.

 

In Taiwan, the Office of the President and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) expressed sincere welcome and gratitude to President Biden and the United States for reaffirming their rock-solid commitment to Taiwan. According to MOFA, Taiwan will continue to improve its self-defense capabilities, and deepen cooperation with the United States, Japan and other countries to jointly defend the security of the Taiwan Strait. MOFA added that the U.S. had briefed Taiwan in detail before Mr. Blinken's speech. MOFA is pleased to see Mr. Blinken reiterate that the U.S. will stick to its security commitments to Taiwan and continue to support Taiwan's participation in international affairs.

 

Mainland China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs is fiercely criticizing the United States as usual. Spokesman Wang Wenbin stated that the Chinese side expressed its “strong dissatisfaction and firm opposition” to Mr. Biden’s remarks. "On issues concerning China's sovereignty and territorial integrity and other core interests, there is no room for compromise... China will definitely take firm action to safeguard its sovereignty and security interests, and we will do what we say."

 

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