Joe Biden gaffe explained: Has Joe Biden changed US policy on Taiwan?
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The US President, who embarked on his first tour of Asia since taking office last week, touched on China’s relationship with Taiwan. Under the “One China” policy, the US regards Xi Jinping’s administration as official Chinese representatives while holding a “robust unofficial” relationship with Taiwan. But at a press conference with Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, Mr Biden appeared to suggest the nature of that relationship had changed.
Has Joe Biden changed US policy on Taiwan?
During today’s press conference, President Biden was asked by a reporter whether the US would protect Taiwan if it was attacked by China.
He said this was a “commitment we made” in accordance with the One China policy.
While the US has “signed on to it”, he said, the idea Taiwan could be “taken by force” was “just not appropriate”.
He also played down any suggestions that China would attempt to incorporate Taiwan into its territory.
A “One China” framework has governed the Sino-US relationship since late the 1970s.
But the two nations interpret the phrase differently in their official policy.
President Biden and his predecessors have long maintained an official “One China policy” relationship with the Chinese Government, which does not officially recognise Taiwan as a sovereign nation.
China’s “One China principle” holds that Taiwan is a breakaway province of the People’s Republic of China (PRC).
The US does not endorse this and has sold weapons to Taiwan’s officials for their protection under a position of “strategic ambiguity”.
Until today, that is the farthest the US has gone in supporting the island nation.
Although his statement appears to signify a marked departure from this, President Biden has not changed the country’s foreign policy pursuits with Taiwan.
US officials speedily rowed back the President’s comments after the conference.
The White House insisted US policy on Taiwan “has not changed” in a statement.
Officials framed his words as a “commitment to peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait”.
They added President Biden “reiterated our commitment under the Taiwan Relations Act to provide Taiwan with the military means to defend itself”.
They added President Biden “reiterated our commitment under the Taiwan Relations Act to provide Taiwan with the military means to defend itself”.
Today’s statement was not the first of Mr Biden’s the White House has had to row back.
In August 2021, he told ABC News the US would defend Taiwan as it would any nation under NATO membership.
Two months later, he told attendees at a CNN town hall meeting that his administration had a “commitment” to defending Taiwan.
The White House responded both times by saying the US had “not changed” its approach to Taiwan.
Today’s statement was not the first of Mr Biden’s the White House has had to row back.
In August 2021, he told ABC News the US would defend Taiwan as it would any nation under NATO membership.
Two months later, he told attendees at a CNN town hall meeting that his administration had a “commitment” to defending Taiwan.
The White House responded both times by saying the US had “not changed” its approach to Taiwan.
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