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President Biden said on Tuesday that he and Xi Jinping had agreed to stick to the Taiwan agreement as Beijing took a more aggressive stance against the democratically ruled island, according to reports.
“We’ve made it clear that I don’t think he should do anything other than abide by the deal,” Biden told reporters when asked about Sino-Taiwanese tensions, according to Reuters.
President Joe Biden speaks with reporters after returning to the White House in Washington on Tuesday, October 5, 2021, after a trip to Michigan to promote his infrastructure plan. (AP Photo / Susan Walsh)
(AP Photo / Susan Walsh)
Beijing has sent a record 145 fighter jets to Taiwan’s air defense zone for four consecutive days over the weekend, and Taiwanese officials have warned of the possibility of a misfire or war between the two countries, BBC News reported.
“The United States is very concerned about the provocative military activity of the People’s Republic of China near Taiwan, which is destabilizing, risks miscalculations and undermines regional peace and stability,” Ned Price said Sunday, State Department spokesperson, Reuters reported.
Relations are at their lowest level in 40 years, Taiwanese Defense Minister Chiu Kuo-cheng said amid the provocations, according to the BBC.
Next, Vice President Joe Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping toast at a State Luncheon for China hosted by US Secretary of State John Kerry on September 25, 2015 at the State Department in Washington, DC. AFP PHOTO / PAUL J. RICHARDS (Photo credit to read PAUL J. RICHARDS / AFP via Getty Images)
(PAUL J. RICHARDS / AFP via Getty Images)
Biden was apparently referring to the United States’ long-standing “one China” policy, meaning the White House does not officially recognize Taiwan’s sovereignty and the 1979 Taiwan Relations Act, which allows for relations non-diplomatic relations between the United States and Taiwan and obliges the United States to help the island maintain its self-defense against China.
The act is based on the fact that China is peaceful towards Taiwan, according to Reuters.
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The United States also reportedly reassured Taiwan’s Foreign Ministry that its commitment to the island was “rock solid” after Taiwan asked for clarification.
Taiwan separated from mainland China in 1949 and sees itself as a sovereign country while Beijing sees it as a separatist province that could be annexed by force if necessary.
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