TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — U.S. President Joe Biden said late last month that he does not rule out using military force to defend Taiwan if China tries to invade.
In an interview on May 28 and released Tuesday (June 4), Time magazine pointed out that CIA director Bill Burns had warned Chinese leader Xi Jinping (習近平) had commanded the People's Liberation Army to be ready to launch a full-scale invasion of Taiwan by 2027.
When asked what he meant when he previously said on multiple occasions that the U.S. would use force to defend Taiwan, Biden responded, “It would depend on the circumstances.”
Biden stressed that he clearly stated to Xi that the U.S. is not seeking independence for Taiwan, “nor will we in fact, not defend Taiwan” if China unilaterally tries to change the status quo. Indicating a stockpiling of arms for a potential conflict, Biden said the U.S. is "continuing to supply capacity” and consult with regional allies.
Posed with the question of whether he would deploy U.S. troops in Taiwan in the event of a Chinese invasion, Biden said that he is “not ruling out using U.S. military force.” He then said there is a “distinction between deploying on the ground, airpower, and naval power, etc.”
As to whether this would involve launching strikes from bases in the Philippines or Japan, Biden said that he could not elaborate because, “You would then criticize me with good reason if I were to tell you.”
Before the Time magazine interview, Biden had said on at least four occasions that he would dispatch U.S. forces to defend Taiwan if China tried to invade since taking the Oval Office.
