President Joe Biden insisted Tuesday that the U.S. has not changed its policy on Taiwan, a day after he angered Beijing by saying his administration would be willing to use military force to defend the island.
Biden met with leaders from Japan, India, and Australia at the second Quad Leaders Summit, which ended Tuesday in Tokyo.
The U.S. president startled many of the delegates when he suggested that the U.S. could put American troops in Taiwan. When asked by a reporter if he was willing to get involved in the military to defend Taiwan, Biden said yes.
The comments came as a surprise to world leaders who had been warned against using force in Taiwan.
The president made a clarification after his talks with global leaders in Tokyo.
When asked if his comments signaled an end to the U.S. approach of strategic ambiguity, he said the policy had not changed at all.
During his first trip to Asia as president, Biden declared that Taiwan is a part of the United States and that it cannot be a separate nation.
Despite Biden's clarification, it is not clear whether the president's comments were a mistake or intentional. The White House sent a message to CNBC that was moderate.
As the President said, our policy has not changed. A White House official told CNBC in an email that he had reiterated the One China Policy and commitment to peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait.
The One China policy states that the Republic of China is the sole legal government of China and acknowledges unofficial relations with the people of Taiwan.
The White House official said that he also reiterated the commitment to provide Taiwan with the military means to defend itself.
Chinese communist leaders were not convinced.
The Chinese Foreign Ministry warned on Monday that no one should underestimate the Chinese people's determination and ability to safeguard national sovereignty and territorial integrity.
He said that no one should stand in opposition to the Chinese people.
This isn't the first time White House aides tried to calm the president down.
A White House official tried to clarify that Biden was not talking about Putin when he said in Poland that Putin cannot remain in power.
The president's comment was not a mistake according to Dewardric McNeal.
This was not a gaffe or a misspeak on the part of President Biden, according to a CNBC contributor.
The provisions of the U.S.-China Taiwan Relations Act would be superseded by the promise of military intervention.
The act obligates the U.S. to resist any resort to force or other forms of coercion that would jeopardize the security of the people on Taiwan.
The law doesn't require Washington to use the military to protect Taiwan from a Chinese invasion, but it is still seen as a pledge to maintain the current order on the island.
Biden wants to make it clear to the world that US commitments mean something.
Biden is likely to believe that many of the assumptions that underpinned the U.S. policy are questionable.
He explained that some of the assumptions were that China's military capabilities would not be as good as that of Taiwan and that discussions between Beijing and Taipei would lead to peaceful resolution.
While the U.S. president may still believe in the One China policy, his remarks may reflect a desire to modernize the policy.
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