Joe Biden Ends Tradition of Strategic Ambiguity on Taiwan

Joe Biden Ends Tradition of Strategic Ambiguity on Taiwan

Joe Biden ENDS Old Tradition – This Will Make America Weaker

(RepublicanJournal.org) – President Joe Biden made a statement about Taiwan that has many people wondering if it was yet another of his notorious gaffes or a Freudian slip. Biden stated, in no uncertain terms, that the United States would support Taiwan with military force if necessary. He backed his statement by stating, “that’s the commitment we made.”

In fact, that’s not the commitment the United States made, according to the Taiwan Relations Act (TRA). The document recognizes a diplomatic relationship with the people of Taiwan, but language and policy toward the island nation have always been ambiguous. The New York Times notes that even administration officials in the room seemed stunned to hear the president speak so fluidly about coming to Taiwan’s defense.

While the TRA states that the US is allowed to provide Taiwan with arms to defend itself, it stops short of allowing unilateral intervention by a US president. It specifically states that the president and Congress would make the decision on military action if and when the time came.

There are some viewers who will likely attribute the statement to a gaffe, as it seemingly makes little sense for President Biden to intentionally poke the Chinese during a time when tensions between the two countries are already high. On the flip side, if he was serious, is it a good idea to start promising military aid to yet another country with all of the economic issues currently facing the American people here at home?

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