Biden: America will defend Taiwan if China attacks it

US President Joe Biden said on Thursday that the United States would rise to defend Taiwan and had an obligation to defend the island, which China considers its territory, in comments that appeared to depart from official policy.


 "Yes, we have an obligation to do that," Biden said in an interview with CNN, when asked if the United States would come to Taiwan's defense. Taiwan complains of mounting military and political pressure from Beijing to accept Chinese sovereignty over it.


 Washington is legally obligated to provide Taiwan with the means to defend itself, but it has long pursued a policy of "strategic ambiguity" about whether it would intervene militarily to protect Taiwan if China attacked it.


 In August, a Biden administration official said US policy on Taiwan had not changed, after the president appeared to imply that the United States would defend the island if it was attacked.


 Biden said people should not worry about US military power because "China, Russia and the rest of the world understand that we are the most powerful military in the history of the world."


 "I don't want a cold war with China," he said. I just want China to realize that we will not back down, that we will not change any of our views.”


 Taiwan's defense minister said this month that military tension between Taiwan and China is at its worst in more than 40 years, adding that China will be able to launch a full-scale invasion by 2025.


 Taiwan says it is an independent country and will defend its freedom and democracy.


 China says Taiwan is the most sensitive issue in its relations with the United States, and has denounced what it describes as "collusion" between Washington and Taipei.


 China's ambassador to the United Nations, Zhang Jun, told reporters earlier yesterday that Beijing was seeking "peaceful reunification" with Taiwan and was responding to "separatist attempts" by the ruling Democratic Progressive Party there.


Follow our latest local and sports news and the latest political and economic developments via Google news