Biden Fires Warning Shot At Chinese Communist Party
(TargetLiberty.org) – The United States has long had a policy of strategic ambiguity in place when it comes to Taiwan. It basically means US leaders are intentionally vague about whether they would send the military to help the island if China ever invaded the independent country. The policy was meant to allow America to keep peace with the Communist country while also supporting Taiwan. President Joe Biden is making it more difficult to keep the policy in place every time he speaks about the subject.
Sending in the Troops
On Monday, May 23, Biden was in Japan for the first time as president. He held a press conference with Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida in Tokyo to discuss a range of issues. During the event, an American reporter asked the president if he would commit to sending the military to help Taiwan should China invade. Biden said, “Yes.” He went on to say the US made a commitment to do just that. Of course, it’s not true.
The US has never made an agreement to send troops into Taiwan to defend against an invasion because that would be a shift in the strategic ambiguity policy. Instead, the country has sent military weapons and even trained Taiwanese troops so they’re in a position to defend their own island if necessary.
Back in October 2021, Biden made similar remarks during a CNN event. Someone asked the president if the US would protect Taiwan if China invaded? Biden said, yes, because “we have a commitment to do that.”
In both instances, the White House was left to walk back the president’s statements.
White House Responds
On Monday, the president’s own administration rushed to contradict him. A White House spokesperson spoke to Fox News’ Jacqui Heinrich, saying there was no change to American policy as it pertains to Taiwan. They went on to explain the president, himself, “reiterated our One China Policy and our commitment to peace and stability across the Taiwan strait [sic].”
I asked a WH official how Biden’s statement at the press conf should be seen by China, especially after they expressed anger the State Department recently removed language saying the US does not support Taiwan independence, and Biden’s comment seemed a step further. Their answer: pic.twitter.com/3q5pFnl93c
— Jacqui Heinrich (@JacquiHeinrich) May 23, 2022
It’s true, Biden did mention the One China Policy. That’s the Chinese government’s assertion that it has the sole legal authority over its country and territories. Although the US acknowledges the policy, it doesn’t accept it when it comes to Taiwan. The island nation asserts it does not belong to the communist country.
A day after his comments, on Tuesday, President Biden once again clarified his remarks. He said the US policy of strategic ambiguity is still in place and isn’t “dead.”
“The policy has not changed at all,” Biden said.
But if there hasn’t been a shift in US policy, why does the president keep saying he would send troops to defend Taiwan?
Copyright 2022, TargetLiberty.org
