Biden leaves no doubt: 'Strategic ambiguity' toward Taiwan is dead - POLITICO

would defend Taiwan against a Chinese attack “doesn't really have the hallmark of an off-the-cuff remark,” one expert said.

must apply a more robust deterrence to Beijing given its worsening military intimidation of Taiwan.

military would defend Taiwan “if in fact there was an unprecedented attack” on the self-governing island, Biden said in an interview that aired Sunday on CBS’ “60 Minutes.”.

would militarily defend Taiwan in the event of a Chinese invasion attempt.

must apply a more robust deterrence to Beijing given its worsening military intimidation of Taiwan.

“I think we can all be pretty certain at this point that it was not a gaffe — four times in a row … [means] what’s happening is there are people in the administration who think that by demonstrating a greater willingness to defend Taiwan, that’ll help reestablish deterrence,” said Oriana Skylar Mastro, center fellow at Stanford University’s Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies.

military defense of Taiwan breaks new ground in his administration’s willingness to take a more uncompromising approach to the possibility of Chinese aggression.

And it reflects deepening concerns about Beijing’s intentions following the live-fire military drills it launched around the island after House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s contentious Taiwan visit last month, as well as ongoing violations by Chinese military aircraft of the median line between Taiwan and China.

“No previous president has chosen to prejudge the decision that he will take in the event of a hypothetical Chinese military action,” Daniel Russel, former assistant secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific affairs and vice president for international security and diplomacy at the Asia Society Policy Institute, told POLITICO.

“[Taiwan] extends its sincere appreciation to President Biden for once again emphasizing the staunch and rock-solid US security commitment to Taiwan,” the island’s Foreign Affairs Ministry said in a statement on Monday.

made not to support Taiwan independence,” Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said on Monday.

Liu Jieyi, director of the Chinese government’s Taiwan Affairs Office, in July described “national reunification” — Beijing’s shorthand for a Taiwan takeover — as an “inevitable requirement” of Xi’s hawkish “national rejuvenation” policy.

“We will not renounce the use of force, and we reserve the option of taking all necessary measures,” said a Chinese government white paper on Taiwan published last month.

to military intervention to protect Taiwan in the face of a Chinese invasion.

Michael McCaul of Texas, the lead Republican on the House Foreign Affairs Committee, said in a statement.

moves to change its relationship with Taiwan are “like playing with fire, are extremely dangerous.”

The Biden administration’s challenge is to balance its desire to deter a potential Chinese invasion of Taiwan with a clear understanding of its willingness to sacrifice blood and treasure to keep the island out of Beijing’s clutches