The US President announced that US forces will "defend Taiwan if it is invaded by China," while a White House spokesman confirmed that US policy toward Taiwan "has not changed."
US President Joe Biden said in an interview broadcast Sunday that US forces would "defend Taiwan in the event of a Chinese invasion," his clearest statement yet on the issue.
When asked in an interview with CBS whether US forces would defend the autonomous island, which China considers a province, he said: "Yes, if in fact there was an unprecedented attack."
When asked to clarify whether he meant that, unlike in Ukraine, US forces would defend Taiwan in the event of a Chinese invasion, Biden said: "Yes."
It was the latest time that Biden overridden the longstanding US policy on Taiwan, but his comments during the interview were clearer than previous ones about the commitment of US forces to defend the island.
In response to a request for comment, a White House spokesperson said US policy toward Taiwan "has not changed."
"The president has said this before, including in Tokyo earlier this year. He also made it clear at the time that our policy on Taiwan has not changed. It remains true," the spokesperson said.
Biden was interviewed by CBS last week, as the US president is now visiting Britain for Queen Elizabeth's funeral on Monday.
The United States has long maintained a policy of not making clear whether it would respond militarily to an attack on Taiwan.
Asked in May if Biden was ready to intervene militarily to defend Taiwan, Biden said: "Yes, that is the commitment we made."
In his interview with CBS, Biden stressed that the United States does not support Taiwan independence and that it remains committed to the "one China" policy, in which Washington officially recognizes Beijing, not Taipei.
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