WASHINGTON, Oct 22 – The White House on Friday reiterated that Joe Biden had not shown any change in US policy on Taiwan, saying the United States would help the island if it was attacked by China, and analysts dismissed the president’s comments. gafe.
Although Washington is required by law to provide Taiwan with self-defense measures, it has long followed a policy of “strategic ambiguity” about whether to intervene militarily to protect Taiwan in the event of a Chinese invasion.
Biden questioned that when asked at CNN city hall in Baltimore on Thursday night whether the United States would defend Taiwan if it was attacked by China and he replied: “Yes, we are committed to doing that.”
Shortly after speaking, a White House spokesman said nothing had changed in the policy and analysts said it appeared the president had not spoken.
Asked at a press conference on Friday whether it was Biden’s intention to leave out the ambiguity of the strategy to make a vague statement on how the United States would respond to the Chinese invasion of Taiwan, White House spokeswoman Jen Psaki said: “Our policy has not changed.
Psaki added that, as stated in Brussels earlier on Friday by the U.S. Secretary of Defense. Lloyd Austin, “No one wants to see the current crisis attack, certainly not President Biden, and there is no reason why he should.”
Psaki said the U.S. defense relationship with Taiwan is governed by the long-standing Taiwan Relations Act, in which Washington “will continue to assist Taiwan in maintaining sufficient defense capacity.”
One of the goals of the move was that Washington “would consider any attempt to determine the future of Taiwan by other peaceful means as a threat to the peace and security of the Western Pacific and of serious concern to the United States,” he added.
Bonnie Glaser, a Taiwanese expert at the Marshall Fund of the United States, called Biden’s remarks “gaffe” and said it was “not true” that Washington was committed to defending Taiwan.
“Some suggest a deliberate attempt to send ambiguous signals, but in my opinion, that is absurd. Taiwan.
Another Taiwanese scholar, Douglas Paal, a former American ambassador to Taipei, said Biden had focused on the city hall by selling his local economic plan.
“Although he is well-known abroad, he can be reckless at times if he is disturbed,” Paal said. “The White House was ready to issue an immediate ‘non-change-in-policy’ amendment, because that is where the policy lies.”
Biden’s comments come at a crucial time, when White House officials are preparing for a meaningful meeting between him and Chinese leader Xi Jinping, sources, hoping it will show Washington that he can honestly manage tense relations between rival countries.
China, which claims Taiwan as its own, has expressed its displeasure, with a Foreign Ministry spokesman saying Beijing has no room for compromising its main interests.
China urges the United States not to “send inappropriate signals to Taiwan’s liberation movements, to avoid damaging the Sino-U.S. relationship and peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait,” Wangbin spokesman Wangbin said.
The Taiwanese presidency has said its stance remains the same, meaning it will not allow pressure or “move too fast” if it receives support.