China warns Biden on Taiwan

Beijing rejects US president’s assertion to defend island from attack

BEIJING—Beijing on Monday said it was ready to defend its national interests over Taiwan, in a rebuke to US President Joe Biden’s vow to protect the island militarily from any invasion by China.

China’s Communist Party has never controlled self-ruled Taiwan but it views the island as part of its territory and has vowed to one day seize it, by force if needed.

Biden, who is in Tokyo to meet regional allies, earlier on Monday warned that China’s increasingly assertive stance over the island was “flirting with danger” and promised to defend Taiwan from any military action by its giant neighbor.

Defiance

The comments were met with defiance in Beijing, with foreign ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin telling reporters “Taiwan is an inalienable part of China’s territory.”

“The Taiwan issue is a purely internal affair for China,” he said.

“On issues touching on China’s core interests of sovereignty and territorial integrity, China has no room for compromise or concession.”

Biden made a connection between the response of Western nations to Russia’s assault on Ukraine and Beijing’s perception of the risks of military action against Taiwan.

But Wang said China would always defend its interests with the force of its 1.4 billion population.

“No one should underestimate the firm resolve, staunch will and strong ability of the Chinese people in defending national sovereignty and territorial integrity,” he added.

Biden’s comment, made during his first visit to Japan since taking office, and as Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida looked on, appeared to be a departure from existing US policy of so-called strategic ambiguity on Taiwan.

When a reporter asked Biden during a joint news conference with the Japanese leader if the United States would defend Taiwan if it were attacked, the president answered: “Yes.”

“That’s the commitment we made,” he said.

Not appropriate

“We agree with a one-China policy. We’ve signed on to it and all the intended agreements made from there. But the idea that, that it can be taken by force... is just not appropriate.”

He warned Beijing was already “flirting with danger right now by flying so close and all the maneuvers undertaken,” in reference to a growing number of Chinese sorties, naval exercises and construction in the region.

The US leader, who has led an international effort to impose punishing sanctions on Russia over its invasion of Ukraine, said President Vladimir Putin had to pay a “longterm price,” otherwise it would send the wrong message.

“What signal does that send to China about the cost of attempting to take Taiwan by force?” he said.

The president’s national security aides shifted in their seats and appeared to be studying Biden closely as he responded to the question on Taiwan. Several looked down as he made what appeared to be an unambiguous commitment to Taiwan’s defense.

Following Biden’s comments, a White House official said there was no change in policy towards Taiwan.

While Washington is required by law to provide Taiwan with the means to defend itself, it has long followed a policy of “strategic ambiguity” on whether it would intervene militarily to protect Taiwan in the event of a Chinese attack.

For decades the United States has maintained a policy of “strategic ambiguity” in which it never makes clear what it would do in the event of an invasion.

The policy was designed both to keep Beijing from declaring war and also to stop Taiwan formally declaring independence.