Biden ‘Was Clear’ on Defending Taiwan: Austin

U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin attends the Shangri-La Dialogue summit in Singapore on June 11, 2022. Roslan Rahman/AFP via Getty Images

U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin said this week that President Joe Biden’s vow to defend Taiwan from an invasion by China “was clear,” but denied that such an invasion was imminent.

Austin added that the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), which rules China as a single-party state, was working to normalize its military presence around Taiwan. The United States would continue to furnish the island government with the arms necessary for its self defense, he said.

“I don’t see an imminent invasion,” Austin said during an interview with CNN on Sunday.

“What we do see is China moving to establish what we would call a ‘new normal.’”

The comments come just weeks after Biden said in an interview that the U.S. military would defend Taiwan in the event of a Chinese invasion.

Though Biden has made similar comments a number of times in the past, White House staff have always rushed to clarify that there was no official change in the United States’ Taiwan policy, in which it vows not to unilaterally advocate for Taiwanese independence.

“I think the president was clear in providing his answers as he responded to a hypothetical question,” Austin said of the incident.

When asked whether the U.S. military was currently preparing for such an eventuality, Austin did not answer directly.

“We’re committed to helping Taiwan develop the capability to defend itself,” Austin said.

When pressed on the issue, Austin said only that the United States was prepared to defend its interests anywhere, at any time.

“The American military is always prepared to protect our interests and live up to our commitments,” he said.

CCP Seeks to ‘Normalize’ Military Presence Around Taiwan

The United States’ unofficial relationship with Taiwan has been in the limelight since early August, when House Speaker Nancy Pelosi  (D-Calif.) visited the island.

CCP authorities used the visit as a pretext to launch a series of unprecedented military drills around the island. Those drills included real cyberattacks on Taiwanese infrastructure, a blockade of international sea and air traffic, and the launching of several ballistic missiles directly over Taiwan that landed in the waters of Japan’s exclusive economic zone.

The CCP has continued similar drills on a smaller scale ever since and has vowed to “normalize” such behavior as part of its effort to force Taiwan under its control.

CCP leadership maintains that Taiwan is a rogue province that must be united with the mainland. Taiwan is a self-governed democracy, however, and has never been controlled by the CCP.

The United States is legally bound by the Taiwan Relations Act of 1979 to provide Taiwan with the means to defend itself, but maintains agreements with China that neither power will attempt to unilaterally change the status quo.

Austin confirmed that the CCP’s efforts to normalize a military presence around Taiwan were underway, saying that the number of CCP vessels and aircraft crossing over the median line of the Taiwan Strait had increased steadily since August.

The United States and its allies have continued to sail through the region despite CCP pressure, making regular transits through the Taiwan Strait, though neither the United States nor its allies have taken any retaliatory action against the CCP for its aggression.

The United States has maintained a continuous naval presence in the Indo-Pacific since 1835, and Austin said that the nation, its allies, and partners would continue to ensure the region remained “free and open” in accordance with internal laws.

Notably, Austin acknowledged that the United States and the CCP had not reestablished regular military communications in the region since the CCP severed all in-theater communications during its drills in August.

Austin said he has communicated with his CCP counterpart, Defense Minister Wei Fenghe, who he said agreed that open communications were important.

In June, however, Wei used those open communications to threaten Austin, saying the CCP would “not hesitate to start a war, no matter the cost” to prevent Taiwan from being internationally recognized as an independent nation.

“We'll do everything we can to continue to signal that we want those channels open and I would hope that China will begin to lean forward a bit more and work with us,” Austin said.

“Those open channels are critical to both of us.”