BELOW SUPERNAV drop zone ⇩

Biden: US forces would defend Taiwan if China invaded

MAIN AREA TOP drop zone ⇩

MAIN AREA TOP drop zone ⇩

ovp test

mLife Diagnostics LLC: Oral Fluid Drug Testing

Male shot by female at Shreveport apartment

Class to create biodiverse backyard

Rules for outbursts at Caddo School Board Meeting

AUTO TEST CUSTOM HTML 20241114185800

AUTO TEST CUSTOM HTML 20241115200405

AUTO TEST CUSTOM HTML 20241118165728

AUTO TEST CUSTOM HTML 20241118184948

(NewsNation) — President Joe Biden said in an interview that aired Sunday that U.S. military forces would defend Taiwan if the island nation were invaded by China.

The president’s comments to CBS’s “60 Minutes” come at a time of escalating tension between China and Taiwan following a visit by U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi to Taiwan in August that angered Beijing.

In the interview, Biden said the U.S. is still adhering to the “One China” policy, which acknowledges China’s position that there is only one legitimate Chinese government, based in Beijing, and that Taiwan is part of China. But the U.S. maintains “strategic ambiguity” about whether it would defend Taiwan militarily.

When asked by “60 Minutes” correspondent Scott Pelley if the U.S. would defend the island, Biden responded: “Yes, if in fact there was an unprecedented attack.”

A White House official told CBS News after the interview that the U.S. official position of “strategic ambiguity” has not changed.

Following Pelosi’s visit to the island, China held a series of military drills, including the largest ever in the Taiwan Strait. Taiwan responded with drills of its own, showcasing its fighter jets.

Multiple congressional delegations have visited Taiwan since Pelosi, and a U.S. Senate committee recently approved a bill that could significantly increase American defense support for Taiwan. China slammed the bill, saying it violates the One China policy.

Washington is obligated by federal law to see that Taiwan has the means to defend itself but doesn’t say whether U.S. forces would be sent. The United States has no formal relations with the island but maintains informal diplomatic ties.

Taiwan’s foreign ministry on Monday expressed “sincere gratitude” to Biden for “affirming the U.S. government’s rock-solid promise of security to Taiwan.”

Taiwan will “resist authoritarian expansion and aggression” and “deepen the close security partnership” with Washington and other governments “with similar thinking” to protect regional stability, the statement said.

Taiwan and China split in 1949 after a civil war that ended with the Communist Party in control of the mainland. The two governments say they are one country but dispute which is entitled to be the national leader.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Politics

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed

Site Settings Survey

 

MAIN AREA MIDDLE drop zone ⇩

Trending on NewsNation

AUTO TEST CUSTOM HTML 20241119133138

MAIN AREA BOTTOM drop zone ⇩

tt

KC Chiefs parade shooting: 1 dead, 21 shot including 9 kids | Morning in America

Witness of Chiefs parade shooting describes suspect | Banfield

Kansas City Chiefs parade shooting: Mom of 2 dead, over 20 shot | Banfield

WWE star Ashley Massaro 'threatened' by board to keep quiet about alleged rape: Friend | Banfield

Friend of WWE star: Ashley Massaro 'spent hours' sobbing after alleged rape | Banfield

Partly Cloudy

la

52°F Partly Cloudy Feels like 52°
Wind
2 mph E
Humidity
80%
Sunrise
Sunset

Tonight

Cloudy skies. Low near 50F. Winds light and variable.
50°F Cloudy skies. Low near 50F. Winds light and variable.
Wind
2 mph NE
Precip
3%
Sunset
Moon Phase
Last Quarter