Biden insists no change in U.S. policy as Taiwan comments hang over Quad summit

President Joe Biden insisted on Tuesday there has been no change to the United States’ policy on Taiwan, a day after drawing China’s ire by signaling he would be willing to use military force to defend the self-governing island.

Asked whether those comments marked an end to the longstanding U.S. approach of “strategic ambiguity” on the issue, Biden said: “No.”

“The policy has not changed at all,” he said, following a round of talks in Tokyo with leaders of the Quad, an informal security grouping consisting of the U.S., Australia, India and Japan that is seen as an effort to counter Beijing.

“I stated that when I made my statement yesterday,” Biden added.

But the final day of Biden’s first trip to Asia as president was somewhat overshadowed by confusion over his Taiwan comments the day before.

Speaking at a news conference after meeting with Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, Biden suggested that unlike in Ukraine, Washington would be willing to intervene militarily if China were to invade Taiwan, which Beijing views as its own territory.

The White House quickly walked back Biden’s comments, which would represent a break with decades of U.S. policy on Taiwan.

But they still rippled across the region, with Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin expressing “firm opposition” to the comments and warning against any support for “Taiwanese” independence. By contrast, Taiwan’s Foreign Affairs Ministry welcomed Biden’s statement, expressing “gratitude” to the president and the U.S. government for “reaffirming their rock-solid commitment to Taiwan.”

This is not the first time Biden has suggested the U.S. could come to Taiwan’s defense should China invade, and it was unclear whether it was a gaffe, a deliberate effort to sow doubt in Beijing about American intentions, or something else entirely.

While Washington is required by law to provide Taiwan with defensive weapons, its policy of “strategic ambiguity” deliberately leaves it unclear as to how the U.S. would respond if Taiwan were to come under attack.

As Biden faced pressure for clarity, other Quad members were also questioned about their Taiwan policies.