DPA
Washington
The US is committed to defending Taiwan if it comes under attack from China, according to US President Joe Biden.
He was asked twice during a CNN town hall on Thursday if the US would protect Taiwan when attacked and answered, "Yes, we have a commitment to do that,” the broadcaster reported.
Biden said while the US is not seeking conflict with China, Beijing must understand: "We are not going to step back and change any of our views.”
Later on Friday, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin was slightly more reserved. As in the past, he said, the US "will continue to help Taiwan with the sorts of capabilities that it needs to defend itself.”
"We’ll stay focused on those things,” Austin said, adding that he refused to "engage in any hypotheticals with respect to Taiwan.”
White House spokesperson Jen Psaki appeared to qualify Biden’s comments without contradicting them.
"There has been no shift. The president was not announcing any change in our policy, nor has he made a decision to change our policy,” she said.
She noted that the US defence relationship with Taiwan was guided by the Taiwan Relations Act. "The United States will continue to abide by of course assisting Taiwan and maintaining a sufficient self-defence capability,” Psaki said.
Taiwan’s presidential spokesman Xavier Chang welcomed Biden’s comments on Friday, saying the US had demonstrated "rock solid” support to Taiwan since Biden took office in January.
China issued a firm response, saying there was "no room for” concession or compromise” on the Taiwan situation.
"Taiwan is an inalienable part of Chinese territory,” said Wang Wenbin, spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Beijing.
"The Taiwan question is purely China’s internal affair that allows no foreign interference”.
On issues that concern China’s sovereignty and territorial integrity and ", there is no room for "concession or
compromise for China”. Nobody should underestimate "our firm will” and our strong” capacity to uphold our sovereignty and territorial integrity.
"We urge the US to speak prudently on the Taiwan question,” refrain from sending any wrong signal to the Taiwan independence forces” and
avoid harming China-US relations,” and the peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait.”
Taiwan is a self-governing democratic island off the south-east coast of China, but Beijing claims it as a province and has threatened to take it by force if it makes any moves towards formal independence.
The US has committed to supporting Taiwan’s defence capabilities, but so far that has meant mainly arms deliveries. The question of military assistance in the event of an attack has mostly been left open deliberately.
Declarations of military assistance from the US have generally been reserved for close allies South Korea and Japan, where US forces have a significant military presence.
Tensions around Taiwan have recently increased significantly. A record number of Chinese military aircraft recently entered Taiwan’s Air Defence Identification Zone. The zone was established unilaterally rather than being internationally defined.
Washington
The US is committed to defending Taiwan if it comes under attack from China, according to US President Joe Biden.
He was asked twice during a CNN town hall on Thursday if the US would protect Taiwan when attacked and answered, "Yes, we have a commitment to do that,” the broadcaster reported.
Biden said while the US is not seeking conflict with China, Beijing must understand: "We are not going to step back and change any of our views.”
Later on Friday, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin was slightly more reserved. As in the past, he said, the US "will continue to help Taiwan with the sorts of capabilities that it needs to defend itself.”
"We’ll stay focused on those things,” Austin said, adding that he refused to "engage in any hypotheticals with respect to Taiwan.”
White House spokesperson Jen Psaki appeared to qualify Biden’s comments without contradicting them.
"There has been no shift. The president was not announcing any change in our policy, nor has he made a decision to change our policy,” she said.
She noted that the US defence relationship with Taiwan was guided by the Taiwan Relations Act. "The United States will continue to abide by of course assisting Taiwan and maintaining a sufficient self-defence capability,” Psaki said.
Taiwan’s presidential spokesman Xavier Chang welcomed Biden’s comments on Friday, saying the US had demonstrated "rock solid” support to Taiwan since Biden took office in January.
China issued a firm response, saying there was "no room for” concession or compromise” on the Taiwan situation.
"Taiwan is an inalienable part of Chinese territory,” said Wang Wenbin, spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Beijing.
"The Taiwan question is purely China’s internal affair that allows no foreign interference”.
On issues that concern China’s sovereignty and territorial integrity and ", there is no room for "concession or
compromise for China”. Nobody should underestimate "our firm will” and our strong” capacity to uphold our sovereignty and territorial integrity.
"We urge the US to speak prudently on the Taiwan question,” refrain from sending any wrong signal to the Taiwan independence forces” and
avoid harming China-US relations,” and the peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait.”
Taiwan is a self-governing democratic island off the south-east coast of China, but Beijing claims it as a province and has threatened to take it by force if it makes any moves towards formal independence.
The US has committed to supporting Taiwan’s defence capabilities, but so far that has meant mainly arms deliveries. The question of military assistance in the event of an attack has mostly been left open deliberately.
Declarations of military assistance from the US have generally been reserved for close allies South Korea and Japan, where US forces have a significant military presence.
Tensions around Taiwan have recently increased significantly. A record number of Chinese military aircraft recently entered Taiwan’s Air Defence Identification Zone. The zone was established unilaterally rather than being internationally defined.