This archive report was first published on 22 October 2021.
US President Joe Biden's vow to defend Taiwan from China has sparked a diplomatic row, with the White House downplaying any change in US policy.
On October 21, 2021, Biden made the comments during a televised forum in Baltimore, saying 'Yes, we have a commitment to that' when asked if the US would come to Taiwan's defense if China invaded.
The statement appeared to contradict the long-held US policy of 'strategic ambiguity,' where Washington helps build Taiwan's defenses but does not explicitly promise to come to the island's help in the event of war.
However, the White House clarified on October 22, 2021, that it was still guided by the 1979 Taiwan Relations Act, which requires the US to provide weaponry to enable Taiwan to maintain sufficient self-defense capabilities.
'The president was not announcing any change in our policy and there is no change in our policy,' a White House spokesperson said.
Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, on a visit to NATO headquarters in Brussels, declined to discuss 'hypotheticals' but said the US would continue to help Taiwan with the sorts of capabilities it needs to defend itself.
China has ramped up economic, diplomatic, and military pressure on Taiwan since the 2016 election of President Tsai Ing-wen, who views Taiwan as already sovereign and not part of 'one China.'
Beijing has warned Washington to 'act and speak cautiously on the Taiwan issue,' with foreign ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin saying that China has 'no room for compromise on issues involving its core interests.'
