In another blunder, Joe Biden just committed U.S. troops to defending Taiwan if his old pal President Xi and his communist armies were to invade.
Via The Hill:
President Biden on Monday said the U.S. would be willing to defend Taiwan militarily if China were to try and take it by force.
“Are you willing to get involved militarily to defend Taiwan if it comes to that?” Biden was asked at a press conference in Tokyo alongside the Japanese prime minister.
“Yes,” Biden responded. “That’s the commitment we made. That’s the commitment we made.
“Look, here’s the situation. We agree with the one China policy… but the idea that to be taken by force, just taken by force, is just not appropriate,” Biden continued. “It will dislocate the entire region and be another action similar to what happened in Ukraine.”
Biden said he does not believe China will attempt to take Taiwan by force, adding that the united global response to the Russian invasion of Ukraine can serve as a deterrent against possible aggression by Beijing.
Here’s the video:
NEW – Biden says the US would defend #Taiwan militarily against an invasion by China. pic.twitter.com/xxXEj1o2PJ
— Disclose.tv (@disclosetv) May 23, 2022
Biden’s comments didn’t go over well in China at all:
In response, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin expressed “strong dissatisfaction and resolute opposition” to Biden’s comments.
“China has no room for compromise or concessions on issues involving China’s core interests such as sovereignty and territorial integrity,” he said.
The White House was quick to put out a statement cleaning up Biden’s comments:
After Biden says "yes" the US is willing to get involved militarily in Taiwan, a WH official says "As the President said, our policy has not changed. He reiterated our One China Policy and our commitment to peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait…."
— Kevin Liptak (@Kevinliptakcnn) May 23, 2022
"He also reiterated our commitment under the Taiwan Relations Act to provide Taiwan with the military means to defend itself."
— Kevin Liptak (@Kevinliptakcnn) May 23, 2022
This isn’t the first time the White House has had to clean up Biden’s comments on this issue:
Biden was asked at a CNN town hall last October whether the U.S. would defend Taiwan if it were attacked by China, and he said the U.S. would.
The White House quickly walked back Biden’s comments at the time, saying he was not announcing a policy change.
This White House is such an embarrassment….