US President Joe Biden in a joint press conference with Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida in response to a question about whether the US would be prepared to defend Taiwan if attacked, replied, “Yes.”
“That’s the commitment we made,” Biden said, according to CNBC. “We agree with the ‘one China’ policy. We signed on to it. All the attendant agreements [were] made from there. But the idea that that can be taken by force, just taken by force. It’s just not it’s just not appropriate.”
Meanwhile, a White House official who was asked to clarify the comment responded 'As the President said, our policy has not changed. 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.'
Taiwan’s foreign ministry thanked Biden for reaffirming US support for the island if Beijing attacked.
However, China’s foreign ministry expressed “strong dissatisfaction and firm opposition” to the remarks, before adding that Beijing has no room for compromise or concessions relating to matters of sovereignty and territorial integrity.
“No one should underestimate the strong determination, firm will, and strong ability of the Chinese people to defend national sovereignty and territorial integrity, and do not stand against the 1.4 billion Chinese people,” China’s foreign ministry said.
KI/PR
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