Biden says US willing to use force to defend Taiwan

TOKYO • US President Joe Biden said yesterday that he would be willing to use force to defend Taiwan, in a series of critical comments about China he made in Tokyo that an aide said represented no change in US policy on the self-ruled island.

Mr Biden's comments, made during his first visit to Japan since taking office, and as Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida looked on, appeared to be a departure from existing US policy of so-called strategic ambiguity on Taiwan.

Beijing considers the democratic island its territory, part of "one China", and says it is the most sensitive and important issue in its ties with the United States.

When a reporter asked Mr Biden during a joint news conference with the Japanese leader if the United States would defend Taiwan if it were attacked, the President answered: "Yes."

"That's the commitment we made," Mr Biden said.

"We agree with a one-China policy. We've signed on to it and all the intended agreements made from there. But the idea that, that it can be taken by force, just taken by force, is just not, is just not appropriate."

He added that it was his expectation that such an event would not happen or be attempted.

Following Mr Biden's comments, a White House official said there was no change in policy towards Taiwan.

Beijing yesterday said it was ready to defend its national interests over Taiwan. Foreign ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin told reporters "Taiwan is an inalienable part of China's territory".

"The Taiwan issue is a purely internal affair for China," Mr Wang said. "On issues touching on China's core interests of sovereignty and territorial integrity, China has no room for compromise or concession."

Taiwan's foreign ministry said it welcomed and thanked Mr Biden and the US government for reaffirming their commitment to Taiwan, adding that the government will continue to boost its defence and deepen cooperation with countries including the US and Japan to protect its safety.

The US leader made a similar comment about defending Taiwan in October last year.

At that time, a White House spokesman said Mr Biden was not announcing any change in US policy and one analyst referred to the comment as a "gaffe".

Despite the White House insistence that yesterday's comments did not represent a change of US policy, Mr Grant Newsham, a retired US Marine Corps colonel and now a research fellow at the Japan Forum for Strategic Studies, said the meaning was clear.

"This statement deserves to be taken seriously," Mr Newsham said. "It is a clear enough statement that the US will not sit by if China attacks Taiwan."

While Washington is required by law to provide Taiwan with the means to defend itself, it has long followed a policy of "strategic ambiguity" on whether it would intervene militarily to protect Taiwan in the event of a Chinese attack.

REUTERS, AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE