On May 23, during his trip to the Far East, Biden was asked if the U.S. was willing to help Taiwan defend itself should China decide to invade what it regards as a rebel province.
He said yes, adding, “That’s the commitment we made.”
It made headlines, but it’s also not new. He said as much in November, and the U.S. has helped arm Taiwan for decades.
This illustrates a longstanding contradictory policy the U.S. has toward Taiwan. The U.S., like most of the world, does not officially recognize Taiwan as an independent country. We don’t have full diplomatic ties with the island nation, instead dealing with Taipei on a more unofficial basis.