US would defend Taiwan from China, says Joe Biden

Joe Biden declares the US would defend the island if attacked by China, which considers it part of its territory.

In August Joe Biden insisted in a TV interview that the US would always defend key allies. Picture: AFP

US President Joe Biden has said that the US would ­defend Taiwan if the­ ­island were attacked by China, which considers it part of its territory.

“Yes,” he responded when asked in a CNN town hall about defending Taiwan. “We have a commitment to that.”

Mr Biden’s statement was at odds with the long-held US policy known as “strategic ambiguity”, where Washington helps build Taiwan’s defences but does not explicitly promise to come to the island’s help.

The President made a similar pledge in August during an TV ­interview, insisting that the US would always defend key allies, ­including Taiwan, despite the withdrawal from Afghanistan in the face of the victorious Taliban.

He said the US made a “sacred commitment” to defend NATO ­allies in Canada and Europe and it’s the “same with Japan, same with South Korea, same with ­Taiwan”.

The White House sub­sequently said that US policy on Taiwan “has not changed”.

Asked by an audience member at the live televised town hall whether the US would be able to keep up with China’s rapid military development, Mr Biden also said, “yes”.

“Don’t worry about whether … they’re going to be more powerful,” he said. “China, Russia and the rest of the world knows we have the most powerful military in the history of the world.”

However, Mr Biden expressed concern that rival countries may “engage in activities where they may make a serious mistake”.

He referred to his longtime ­relationship with Chinese President Xi Jinping and repeated his position that he does not want “to start a new Cold War with China”.

But he warned: “I just want to make China understand that we are not going to step back.”

China has upped its sabre rattling around Taiwan, sending waves of fighter jets and nuclear-capable bombers crossing into Taiwan’s air defence zone.

Beijing warned that Mr Biden’s comments risked “damaging Sino-US relations”, warning Washington to “act and speak cautiously on the Taiwan issue”.

“China has no room for compromise on issues involving its core interests,” foreign ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin said.

Mr Biden’s comments also come in the wake of a Financial Times report that China has tested a state-of-the-art hypersonic missile with nuclear capacity that flew around the planet before landing, albeit not on target. The US and Russia are racing to ­develop their own hypersonic weapons, which are more difficult to defend against than existing ballistic missile arsenals. The US successfully tested hypersonic technology on Wednesday.

Tensions over Taiwan continue to rise, with A Taiwanese government delegation visiting three eastern EU members to the dismay of China, which is irritated by any signs of Taiwan acting as an independent country.

The 66 government officials held talks in Slovakia on Friday before travelling to the Czech ­Republic and Lithuania at the weekend to boost trade ties and investment.

All three countries gave coronavirus vaccines to Taiwan, which has accused Beijing of hampering its efforts to secure enough doses.

The EU members have shown signs of wanting closer relations with the island, even if that angers China. Czech-Taiwanese Chamber of Commerce head Pavel Divis said the visit was “a unique opportunity for us to establish co-operation in sectors in which Taiwan is a global leader”. But the visit ­angered China.

“Taiwan is an inalienable part of China’s territory, and the government of the People’s Republic of China is the sole legal government representing China,” Mr Wang, the foreign ministry spokesman, said.

The Taiwan delegation comprises Kung Ming-hsin, the ­national development council minister, and Wu Tsung-tsong, science and technology minister.

Taiwan Foreign Minister ­Joseph Wu is due to visit Prague next Wednesday. Only 15 countries officially recognise Taipei rather than Beijing, which claims the self-ruled democratic island as part of its territory and has vowed to one day re-take it – by force if needed. Beijing insists on a one-China policy that means countries cannot also give diplomatic recognition to Taiwan.

Mr Wang added that China “deplored and firmly opposed” such visits, threatening “universal condemnation” to countries ­receiving the delegation.

Prague drew China’s ire last year when a delegation of about 90 Czech politicians, entrepreneurs, scientists and journalists led by Senate Speaker Milos Vystrcil visited Taiwan for five days.

On Thursday, the European parliament urged closer ties ­between the EU and Taiwan, calling for increased investment.

AFP