Conflicts: US will support Taiwan militarily in case of attack

Conflicts
The US will provide military support to Taiwan in the event of an attack

US President Joe Biden has reiterated military support for Taiwan in the event of an attack. “Yes, if there really was an unprecedented attack,” Biden said in a televised interview: “Would the U.S. military defend the island?” Biden took questions from Scott Pelley on 60 Minutes in a taped interview Thursday. Belli asked again: “So as opposed to Ukraine, to put it bluntly: will US forces (…) defend Taiwan in the event of a Chinese invasion?” Again, Biden responded in the affirmative.

Pele explained on the show that after interviewing Biden, the White House made it clear that US policy had not changed and that the US would not officially say whether US forces would defend Taiwan. Biden made similarly clear statements during a trip to Japan in May, saying the United States had an “obligation” to defend Taiwan in the event of an attack. In early August, top US politician Nancy Pelosi raised tensions with China with a visit to Taiwan.

The Communist leadership in Beijing considers Taiwan part of the People’s Republic and threatens to annex it. The U.S. has committed itself to Taiwan’s ability to defend itself—which so far has primarily meant arms supplies. The question of military assistance during the attack was deliberately left open because Beijing would see it as a violation of the “one China doctrine”.

dpa