Defense Secretary Austin affirms U.S. protection dedication to Taiwan in wake of Xi-Biden summit
The United States just isn’t backing off its defensive help for Taiwan, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin stated Thursday, a day after President Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping mentioned the way forward for the island democracy at a summit of Pacific Rim nations in San Francisco.
“In terms of what we will continue to do with respect to Taiwan, as you know, of course with the Taiwan Relations Act, we are committed to doing what’s necessary to help Taiwan acquire the means to defend itself,” Mr. Austin advised reporters touring with him on a go to to Indonesia. “And we’ve done that for a number of years, and we’ll continue to do that,” he stated.
Mr. Austin stated there was nothing within the discussions between the 2 leaders that might trigger American help to “move in a different direction.”
The Pentagon will proceed to comply with the 1979 Taiwan Relations Act that requires supplying protection arms to Taiwan, Mr. Austin stated, including that he didn’t imagine a battle with China over Taiwan was inevitable or imminent.
Mr. Biden and Mr. Xi held 4 hours of talks on Wednesday, with Taiwan distinguished among the many matters of dialogue between the 2 leaders.
Mr. Xi advised the president that Taiwan was the “most dangerous” subject in U.S.-China relations, in accordance with a senior U.S. official who briefed reporters after the talks.
The Chinese chief reportedly stated once more that Beijing prefers to resolve the Taiwan subject peacefully however then outlined circumstances underneath which the Communist regime was prepared to make use of navy power, the official stated.
Mr. Xi‘s remarks indicated China was not preparing for an invasion of Taiwan and they do not change the American approach to deterring a conflict, the official said.
“”President Xi … underscored that this was the biggest, most potentially dangerous issue in U.S.-China relations, laid out clearly that, you know, their preference was for peaceful reunification but then moved immediately to conditions that the potential use of force could be utilized,” the official said, according to Reuters.
Mr. Biden told the Chinese leader the United States is determined to maintain peace in the region and would stick by its existing commitments to Taipei.
“President Biden responded very clearly that the long-standing position of the United States was … determination to maintain peace and stability,” the official said.
“President Xi responded: ‘Look, peace is … all well and good but at some point we need to move towards resolution more generally,” the official said.
The commander of the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command, Adm. John Aquilino, has said Mr. Xi has ordered his forces to prepare for military action against in the next several years.
Mr. Biden declined to comment on the specifics of the discussion on Taiwan when asked by a reporter after the talks if he is still committed to sending U.S. troops to defend Taiwan in the event of a Chinese military attack.
Instead, he repeated the U.S. policy of adhering to a “one-China” principle that is defined differently in Beijing and Washington.
China insists Taiwan, which broke from the mainland in 1949, is part of its sovereign territory. The United States position is Taiwan‘s sovereignty remains undetermined.
Mr. Biden has pledged on several occasions to defend the island democracy in the event of Chinese military action. The White House and State Department each time sought to clarify that the remarks were not a new policy.
The Taiwan Relations Act states that the response to threats to Taiwan will be determined by the president in consultation with Congress.
Talking again
The Biden-Xi meeting did result in defense and military communication being restarted between the two militaries. China cut off all military and non-military talks in August 2022 to protest the visit of then-House Speaker Nancy Pelosi to Taiwan in August 2022.
The Pentagon said Thursday the scope of the talks has not be established, but they will include defense policy meetings and military maritime consultations aimed at preventing accidents and mishaps that could lead to conflict. U.S. officials have complained that China in the past two years has stepped up dangerous aerial intercepts of U.S. surveillance aircraft and also has shadowed and confronted U.S. warships in the region.
During a speech Wednesday night, Mr. Xi said the No. 1 question is whether the United States sees China as an adversary or partner.
“If one sees the other side as a primary competitor, the most consequential geopolitical challenge and a pacing threat, it will only lead to misinformed policy-making, misguided actions, and unwanted results,” he said.
The Chinese leader then said Beijing is ready to be a friend and partner to the U.S. based on “mutual respect, peaceful coexistence and win-win cooperation.”
Mr. Xi said respect means not seeking to undermine China‘s communist system.
“The path of socialism with Chinese characteristics has been found under the guidance of the theory of scientific socialism, and is rooted in the tradition of the Chinese civilization with an uninterrupted history of more than 5,000 years,” he said. “We are proud of our choice, just as you are proud of yours.”
Mr. Austin said no one wants war with China and said any change in the status quo across the Taiwan Strait is “undesired.
“We have maintained our course there. …. That hasn’t modified,” he stated.
Mr. Biden, in the meantime, prompted recent outrage from China‘s Foreign Ministry after repeating his earlier characterization that Mr. Xi is a “dictator” at Wednesday’s press convention.
“Look, he is,” Mr. Biden stated in response to a reporter’s query. “He’s a dictator in the sense that he’s a guy who runs a country that is a communist country that’s based on a form of government totally different than ours.”
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning advised reporters Thursday: “This statement is extremely wrong and irresponsible political manipulation.”
