A spokesman for the Chinese government issued a warning to the Biden administration after President Joe Biden promised military intervention should the communist mainland attack Taiwan.
Chinese Foreign Affairs Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin said the country’s relationship with Taiwan was “a purely internal affair for China,” adding, “On issues touching on China’s core interests of sovereignty and territorial integrity, China has no room for compromise or concession.”
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“No one should underestimate the firm resolve, staunch will, and strong ability of the Chinese people in defending national sovereignty and territorial integrity,” he continued.
Hours earlier, Biden responded “yes” when asked by a journalist if the United States would “get involved militarily to defend Taiwan” if it were attacked by China.
“That’s the commitment we made,” the president said during a news conference with Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida in Tokyo. Biden also argued that China is “already flirting with danger right now by flying so close and all the maneuvers they’re undertaking,” a reference to repeated Chinese military aircraft incursions of Taiwan’s defense zone.
The U.S.’s “One China” policy means it acknowledges but does not recognize China’s claim that Taiwan is a part of the country, though the island of 24 million people claims its independence.
The administration released a statement shortly after the president’s remarks, explaining that his remarks do not indicate a shift in U.S. policy.
“As the president said, our policy has not changed,” the White House said in a statement. “He reiterated our One China Policy and our commitment to peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait. He also reiterated our commitment under the Taiwan Relations Act to provide Taiwan with the military means to defend itself.”
Days earlier, national security adviser Jake Sullivan told reporters, “Our view that we’ve expressed many times is that we are concerned about peace and stability across the Taiwan strait and the ratcheting up of tensions, and we believe China is contributing to the ratcheting up of those tensions through provocative military activities around Taiwan and around the strait. But we’ve been equally clear that our policy toward Taiwan has not changed.”
This is not the first time the administration has seemingly had to walk back Biden’s comments about coming to Taiwan’s defense.
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A college student asked Biden in October 2021 whether he would vow to protect Taiwan, and Biden responded, “Yes and yes,” while the White House said a short time later, “The President was not announcing any change in our policy and there is no change in our policy.”
“The U.S. defense relationship with Taiwan is guided by the Taiwan Relations Act,” the statement from the White House continued. “We will uphold our commitment under the Act, we will continue to support Taiwan’s self-defense, and we will continue to oppose any unilateral changes to the status quo.”
