President Joe Biden’s comments on Taiwan “seriously violate” US policy, according to China.

On September 19, 2022, China stated it “lodged stern representations” with the US after President Joe Biden vowed in the broadest terms yet to “protect” Taiwan if attacked.

Mr. Biden appeared to signify a break in the United States strategy of “strategic ambiguity” on the issue of defending Taiwan in an interview on Sunday, which past administrations have adopted to deter China and discourage Taiwan from achieving complete independence.

When asked if the US would defend Taiwan, he responded, “Yes, if there was an unprecedented invasion.” When asked if this meant going beyond assisting, like in the case of Ukraine, he responded, “Yes.”

Mr. Biden also stated that the US would not intervene on whether Taiwan wanted independence, a departure from the previous posture of discouraging Taiwanese independence from avoiding a conflict with China. Taiwanese governments continue to favor sustaining the current status quo. Beijing has stated that it will not rule out the use of force if any Taiwanese administration declares official independence.

“This is the second time Biden has said that we should let Taiwan decide whether it is independent…and that will be more concerning to China than his statements that the US will defend Taiwan if attacked,” noted Bonnie Glaser, Director of the Asia Program at the German Marshall Fund, in response to his remarks on Twitter.

This was the fourth time Mr. Biden appeared to indicate a shift in “strategic ambiguity.” As in past cases, the White House attempted to downplay his remarks by saying that US official policy remained unaltered.