US vows to help Taiwan defend itself
WASHINGTON:THE United States will help Taiwan “develop the capability to defend itself” from a Chinese invasion, Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin said on Sunday, stopping short of President Joe Biden’s vow to send troops to the island.
“We’re commited to helping Taiwan develop the capability to defend itself,” Austin said in an interview with CNN.
Washington has historically maintained a policy of “strategic ambiguity” on whether it would intervene militarily if Taiwan were attacked by China.
Asked in an interview with CBS last month whether US troops would defend Taiwan, Biden said “yes,” if it were “an unprecedented atack.”
Austin told CNN he saw no “imminent threat” of a Chinese invasion of Taiwan.
But increased military activity on the Taiwan Strait showed that Beijing was moving to establish “a new normal,” he said.
Austin was asked by CNN host Fareed Zakaria whether the US military was preparing to send troops to Taiwan in line with Biden’s comments, but he declined to answer directly.
“The American military is always prepared to protect our interests and live up to our commitments. I think the president was clear in providing his answers as he responded to a hypothetical question,” Austin said.
“But, again, we continue to work to make sure that we have the right capabilities in the right places to ensure that we help our allies maintain a free and open Indo-pacific,” he said.
Asked if Biden’s comments meant a change in that policy, a White House spokesperson said at the time: “The president has said this before, including in Tokyo earlier this year. He also made clear then that our Taiwan policy hasn’t changed. That remains true.”
During a visit to Japan in May, Biden was asked whether he would commit US troops to Taiwan and he said “yes.”
Meanwhile, Taiwan launched its first Englishlanguage TV channel on Monday in a bid to boost its international outreach against an intensified pressure campaign by Beijing.
However, Taiwanplus will only be available on the island for now, limiting its international reach.
Overseeing the launch ceremony on Monday, President Tsai Ing-wen said the 24-hour channel would “bring Taiwan to the international community” as it seeks closer ties with “countries that share our core values of freedom and democracy.”