Biden’s Latest Taiwan Gaffe Stokes Tensions With Beijing

President says US would defend island militarily if attacked
White House says Biden only promised Ukraine-like weapons aid

WATCH: Biden said “yes” when he was asked if he would be willing to get involved militarily to defend Taiwan in any attack from China.Source: Bloomberg

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By Jordan Fabian and Peter Martin

May 23, 2022 at 8:06 PM UTC

Updated on

May 24, 2022 at 4:04 AM UTC

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President Joe Biden is seeking to show US resolve against China, yet an ill-timed gaffe on Taiwan risks undermining his bid to curb Beijing’s growing influence over the region.

Whether intentional or not, Biden provoked China with a vow to defend Taiwan militarily. After saying that US policy on Taiwan “had not changed at all” during a news conference in Tokyo, he then answered “yes” when asked if the US would act “militarily” to defend the island in the event of a Chinese attack.