22.09.2022, 14:09
Macron, Truss Show ‘No Consternation’ Over Biden Promising to Defend Taiwan Militarily
Source: OREANDA-NEWS
OREANDA-NEWS Neither French President Emmanuel Macron nor UK Prime Minister Liz Truss expressed any consternation about Joe Biden’s recent remarks about Taiwan, a senior administration official said at a press briefing on the US President’s meetings at the United Nations.The issue of Taiwan did come up in conversations that President Biden had with his French and British counterparts on the sidelines of the 77th session of the UN General Assembly in New York.Responding to a question from the press regarding any discussion about joint or combined training exercises with Taiwan, the official said the issue had not been touched upon.US President Joe Biden had earlier vowed that American forces would defend Taiwan in the event of an “unprecedented attack”.The island has been governed independently from mainland China since 1949, when it split from the mainland during a civil war that resulted in the Communist Party taking control.
Beijing, whose official policy envisions a peaceful unification of Taiwan with Mainland China, has engaged in rounds of talks with island authorities over several decades. Taipei, however, has persistently rejected Beijing’s proposal for "one country, two systems".Joe Biden had been questioned on the issue of Taiwan in his first CBS 60 Minutes interview as commander-in-chief on Sunday. In the interview Joe Biden also reiterated that he and his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping agree with the 'One-China' policy, adding that Taiwan makes their own judgment about their independence.After this comment, the White House was quick to affirm that the US Taiwan policy has not changed.“The president has said this before, including in Tokyo earlier this year. He also made clear then that our Taiwan policy hasn’t changed. That remains true,” a spokesperson said later.On May 23 Biden similarly appeared to stretch the limits of the “strategic ambiguity” US policy towards the self-ruled island during a joint news conference with Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida in Tokyo.When asked if the United States would defend Taiwan if it were attacked, he replied, "Yes, that's the commitment we made." He added:At the time, an aide said the president's statement represented no change in the long-standing American stance on Taiwan.‘Seriously Wrong Signal’Responding to the recent remarks made by Biden, China said it was “strongly dissatisfied and resolutely opposed” to the comments, which sent a “seriously wrong signal” to Taiwan. According to Chinese foreign ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning, Beijing had lodged a formal complaint over the statement.The US ended formal recognition of Taiwan after it established diplomatic relations with mainland China's Communist government in 1979. US President Joe Biden reaffirmed Washington's commitment to the "One-China policy, guided by the Taiwan Relations Act (TRA), the three Joint Communiques, and the Six Assurances" during a virtual meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping in November 2021. The "strategic ambiguity" theory, which the US has wielded to avoid stating whether it would militarily defend Taiwan, was also developed by the TRA. While Washington acknowledges China's position that Taiwan is part of the People's Republic, it has never officially recognized Beijing's claim to the island and has continued to informally support Taiwan’s continued autonomy from Beijing.For years, the Chinese government has called on the US to refrain from interfering in its domestic matters. Tensions escalated between Beijing and Washington over the controversial visit of US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi to Taipei in early August. At the time, Beijing warned that the Taiwan trip was "provocative" and actively "pushing the envelope on China's red lines."Following the incident, Beijing launched large-scale military exercises in the Taiwan Strait. China also demanded that the United States stop military contacts with Taiwan in order to avoid further tension in the region, while warning that it will continue to take resolute and strong measures to firmly defend Chinese sovereignty and security interests.
Beijing, whose official policy envisions a peaceful unification of Taiwan with Mainland China, has engaged in rounds of talks with island authorities over several decades. Taipei, however, has persistently rejected Beijing’s proposal for "one country, two systems".Joe Biden had been questioned on the issue of Taiwan in his first CBS 60 Minutes interview as commander-in-chief on Sunday. In the interview Joe Biden also reiterated that he and his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping agree with the 'One-China' policy, adding that Taiwan makes their own judgment about their independence.After this comment, the White House was quick to affirm that the US Taiwan policy has not changed.“The president has said this before, including in Tokyo earlier this year. He also made clear then that our Taiwan policy hasn’t changed. That remains true,” a spokesperson said later.On May 23 Biden similarly appeared to stretch the limits of the “strategic ambiguity” US policy towards the self-ruled island during a joint news conference with Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida in Tokyo.When asked if the United States would defend Taiwan if it were attacked, he replied, "Yes, that's the commitment we made." He added:At the time, an aide said the president's statement represented no change in the long-standing American stance on Taiwan.‘Seriously Wrong Signal’Responding to the recent remarks made by Biden, China said it was “strongly dissatisfied and resolutely opposed” to the comments, which sent a “seriously wrong signal” to Taiwan. According to Chinese foreign ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning, Beijing had lodged a formal complaint over the statement.The US ended formal recognition of Taiwan after it established diplomatic relations with mainland China's Communist government in 1979. US President Joe Biden reaffirmed Washington's commitment to the "One-China policy, guided by the Taiwan Relations Act (TRA), the three Joint Communiques, and the Six Assurances" during a virtual meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping in November 2021. The "strategic ambiguity" theory, which the US has wielded to avoid stating whether it would militarily defend Taiwan, was also developed by the TRA. While Washington acknowledges China's position that Taiwan is part of the People's Republic, it has never officially recognized Beijing's claim to the island and has continued to informally support Taiwan’s continued autonomy from Beijing.For years, the Chinese government has called on the US to refrain from interfering in its domestic matters. Tensions escalated between Beijing and Washington over the controversial visit of US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi to Taipei in early August. At the time, Beijing warned that the Taiwan trip was "provocative" and actively "pushing the envelope on China's red lines."Following the incident, Beijing launched large-scale military exercises in the Taiwan Strait. China also demanded that the United States stop military contacts with Taiwan in order to avoid further tension in the region, while warning that it will continue to take resolute and strong measures to firmly defend Chinese sovereignty and security interests.
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