Array
President Joe Biden affirmed that U.S. troops would move in to defend Taiwan in the event of an “unprecedented attack” in an interview with CBS News’s “60 Minutes” Sunday evening.
Biden’s comments represent the clearest statement from the U.S. on possible military intervention if something like a Chinese invasion occurred, seemingly diverting from decades of U.S. policy to avoid committing fully to Taiwan’s defense, CBS News reported.
“Would U.S. forces defend the island?” CBS News correspondent Scott Pelley asked the president.
“Yes, if in fact there was an unprecedented attack,” Biden answered.
The State Department subsequently clarified to “60 Minutes” that U.S. policy toward Taiwan has not changed, although CBS News did not specify whether the agency said Biden’s statements reflected existing U.S. policy.
“We agree with what we signed onto a long time ago,” Biden told CBS News. “And that there’s one China policy, and Taiwan makes their own judgments about their independence. We are not moving — we’re not encouraging their being independent.
