US keeps world guessing on Taiwan stance | Explained

When a reporter asked if the United States would respond militarily if China invaded the island, President Joe Biden said, "Yes. That's the commitment we made."

For the third time in less than a year, President Joe Biden has stirred controversy with his comments about Taiwan. The latest example came during his visit to Japan, when a reporter asked if the United States would respond militarily if China invaded the island.

"Yes," he said Monday. "That's the commitment we made."

A White House official said Biden was not outlining a change in US policy toward Taiwan, a self-governing island that China views as a breakaway province that should be reunified with the mainland.

There is no mutual defense treaty between the US and Taiwan, but America sells the Taiwanese military hardware. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said Biden's comment "highlighted our commitment under the Taiwan Relations Act to help provide Taiwan the means to defend itself."

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Is it that simple? The confusion is a reminder of Washington's stance of "strategic ambiguity" when it comes to Taiwan - essentially, leaving China guessing about what exactly the US would do if there was an invasion.

It's a sensitive issue in a complex corner of the globe, and it's gained renewed attention in light of Russian's invasion of Ukraine.