WASHINGTON, Sept 18 (Reuters) – U.S. President Joe Biden said U.S. forces would defend Taiwan in the event of a Chinese invasion, his most pointed statement yet on the issue, which is sure to anger Beijing. Asked in an interview with CBS 60 Minutes that aired Sunday whether American forces would defend the self-governing island claimed by China, he replied: “Yes, if in fact, there was an unprecedented attack.” Asked if he meant that, unlike Ukraine, American forces — American men and women — would defend Taiwan in the event of a Chinese invasion, Biden replied: “Yes.” Sign up now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.comSign up The interview was just the last time Biden appeared to go beyond long-stated U.S. policy on Taiwan, but his statement was clearer than previous ones about the commitment of U.S. troops to the island’s defense. The United States has long insisted on a policy of “strategic ambiguity” and has not made clear whether it would respond militarily to an attack on Taiwan. Asked for comment, a White House spokesman said US policy toward Taiwan had not changed. “The President has said this before, including in Tokyo earlier this year. He also made it clear then that our policy on Taiwan has not changed. That remains true,” the spokesman said. The CBS interview with Biden took place last week. The president is in Britain for Queen Elizabeth’s funeral on Monday. In May, Biden was asked if he was willing to get involved militarily to defend Taiwan, and he replied, “Yes… That’s the commitment we’ve made.” In the 60 Minutes interview, Biden reiterated that the United States did not support Taiwan independence and remained committed to a “One China” policy in which Washington formally recognizes Beijing, not Taipei. Biden’s remarks are sure to anger Beijing, which was greatly angered by US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s visit to Taiwan in August. That visit prompted China to hold its largest-ever military exercises around Taiwan, and China protested moves by US lawmakers to advance legislation that would boost US military support for Taiwan. read more Chinese President Xi Jinping has vowed to bring democratically-ruled Taiwan under Beijing’s control and has not ruled out the use of force. There was no immediate response to a request for comment from the Chinese embassy in Washington. In a phone call with Biden in July, Xi warned against playing with fire on Taiwan, saying “those who play with fire will perish from it.” read more Asked last October whether the United States would defend Taiwan, which the United States is required by law to provide the means to defend itself, Biden said: “Yes, we have a commitment to do that.” At the time, a White House spokesman said Biden was not announcing any change in US policy, and some experts called the comment a “blunder”. read more Bonnie Glaser, an Asia expert at the German Marshall Fund of the United States, said that if Biden made such pledges, he needed to make sure he could back them up. “If President Biden plans to defend Taiwan, then he should make sure the US military has the capability to do so,” he said. “Rhetorical support unsupported by real capabilities is unlikely to enhance deterrence.” Biden’s Asia policy czar, Kurt Campbell, has previously dismissed any move for “strategic clarity” on Taiwan, saying there are “significant downsides” to such an approach. Sign up now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.comSign up Report by David Brunnstrom, Costas Pitas, Trevor Hunnicutt; Editing by Gerry Doyle and Lincoln Feast. Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.
