WASHINGTON, Sept 19 (Reuters) – US forces would defend Taiwan if China invades the island, US President Joe Biden said in an interview with CBS broadcast on Sunday.
Responding to the question of whether the US military would defend Taiwan, which Beijing is an integral part of its territory, Joe Biden replied: “Yes, if there was an attack without precedent.”
When asked to clarify whether members of the American forces would defend the island in the event of a Chinese invasion, the American president said: “Yes.”
This is not the first time that Joe Biden has seemed to distance himself from American policy towards Taiwan, but these statements are clearer than those he has made in the past on sending American troops to defend the island.
A White House spokesman said US policy toward Taiwan remained unchanged.
“The president has said this before, including Tokyo earlier in the year. He also stressed that our policy regarding Taiwan remains unchanged. It still does.”
Joe Biden said in the interview, recorded last week, that the United States does not support Taiwan’s independence and respects the so-called “one China” policy, under which Washington officially recognizes Beijing and not Taipei. . (Report David Brunnstrom; French version Camille Raynaud)