US forces will defend Taiwan if China attacks: Joe Biden International

International Desk: US President Joe Biden has commented that US forces will defend the territory if China attacks Taiwan. He made this comment amid recent tensions between China and the US over Taiwan.

He made this comment in an interview with CBS News on Sunday (September 18). Reuters reported this information in a report on Monday (September 19).

According to the report, tension between the Western countries including the United States is going on with China over the Taiwan issue. The United States has made a very strong statement on this issue at various times. But this is Joe Biden's clearest statement yet on the Taiwan issue and is sure to anger Beijing.

In an interview published by CBS News on Sunday, Biden was asked whether US forces would defend the self-governing island claimed by China. Biden replied: 'Yes, if in fact there was an unprecedented attack there (Taiwan), it would (defend).'

To clarify exactly what Biden meant, when asked if US forces would defend Taiwan in the event of a Chinese attack, the US president replied: 'Yes.'

Biden's outspoken comments in the interview appear to have effectively left the United States with its longstanding policy on the Taiwan issue. Also, his latest statement about the US military's commitment to protect the island territory was clearer than any previous statement.

Reuters says the US has long stuck to a policy of "strategic ambiguity" on the Taiwan issue and has not made clear whether Washington would respond militarily to a Chinese attack on Taiwan.

Asked for comment on the matter, a White House spokesman said there had been no change in US policy towards Taiwan. The spokesperson said, "The President has said this before. He even said this during his visit to Tokyo earlier this year. He also made it clear that our policy on Taiwan had not changed. That is still true.

Joe Biden gave this interview to CBS News last week. And now President Biden is in Britain to attend the funeral of the late British Queen Elizabeth II.

Earlier last May, Joe Biden was asked if he was willing to get involved militarily to defend Taiwan and replied: 'Yes ... that's what we promised.'

In an interview with CBS News' 60 Minutes, however, President Biden reiterated that the United States does not support Taiwan's independence and that we are committed to the 'one-China' policy. Besides, Washington officially recognizes Beijing, not Taipei.

Reuters says, President Biden's latest comments will surely anger Beijing. The Asian superpower was also widely angered during US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's visit to Taiwan last August.

China's embassy in Washington, however, did not immediately respond to Biden's latest comments.

It should be noted that the tension between China and Western countries, including the United States, has been going on for a long time over the Taiwan issue. Taiwan is an island in East Asia, located east of the Taiwan Strait off the southeast coast of mainland China. However, Beijing has always considered Taiwan a province of its own.

Chinese President Xi Jinping said in October last year that Taiwan's reunification with the mainland must be completed. For this reason, Beijing has left open the issue of military action.

On the other hand, Taiwan considers itself a sovereign state, not a province of China. In response to such comments by the Chinese president, Taiwan said at that time that the future of the country will be in the hands of its people.

However, there is no lack of Beijing's efforts to connect Taiwan with the Chinese mainland. China has stepped up military operations around the Taiwan Strait. Even like last year, since the beginning of this year, this global superpower has been violating Taiwan's Air Defense Identification Zone (ADIZ).

Incidentally, after the Communists seized power in China in 1949, Taiwan was separated from the mainland. However, Beijing has always considered Taiwan a province of its own. Since then, Taiwan has been governed by its own government.

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