Brendan Smialowski | Afp | Getty Images US President Joe Biden said in an interview broadcast on Sunday that US forces would defend Taiwan in the event of a Chinese invasion, his most explicit statement yet on the issue. Asked in an interview with CBS’ “60 Minutes” whether US 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, men and women, would defend Taiwan in the event of a Chinese invasion, Biden replied: “Yes.” 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. 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. The United States has long stuck to a policy of not making clear whether it would respond militarily to an attack on Taiwan. 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 officially recognizes Beijing, not Taipei.
