President Joe Biden is set to wrap up his final stop on his first visit to Asia with a summit that’s aimed at countering Beijing’s expanding influence, a day after saying the United States would be willing to defend Taiwan militarily if China attacks.
Biden’s statement is sure to loom over the day’s meetings, as he’s set to meet in-person with the leaders of Japan, India and Australia as part of a revitalized Quad Leaders’ Summit in Tokyo, capping off his four-day visit to South Korea and Japan.
A shocking statement: The comment, which was quickly walked back by a White House aide, sent a shock wave through both Washington and Beijing as Chinese government spokespeople issued sharp warnings over Biden’s rhetoric, and the President’s top military officials were forced to spend most of Monday attempting to explain the President’s apparent disregard of American strategy toward Taiwan.
On his first trip to Asia since becoming President, Biden — who has long warned about China’s growing influence as a world power — has sought to strengthen the US’ standing with Eastern alliances and seek more ways to cooperate. And though much of China’s looming presence on the trip was unspoken, on Monday Biden said that the US would be willing to intervene militarily if China attempts to take Taiwan by force — a statement that appeared to shift away from the deliberate ambiguity traditionally held by Washington.
While acknowledging the US still agrees with the “One China” policy, Biden said on Monday that the idea of Taiwan being taken by force “is (just not) appropriate.”
Walking it back: Several of Biden’s top administration officials were caught off-guard by the remarks, multiple aides told CNN, adding that they were not expecting Biden to be so unequivocal. The White House quickly downplayed Biden’s comments, saying they don’t reflect a change in US policy. It’s the third time in recent months — including during a CNN town hall in October — that Biden has said the US would protect Taiwan from a Chinese attack, only to have the White House walk back those remarks.
The “One China” policy: Under the “One China” policy, the US acknowledges China’s position that Taiwan is part of China but has never officially recognized Beijing’s claim to the self-governing island of 23 million. The US provides Taiwan defensive weapons but has remained intentionally ambiguous on whether it would intervene militarily in the event of a Chinese attack.
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