Speaking to a high-level summit of Indo-Pacific leaders, Biden underlined the dire consequences of a war that continues to rage on despite scathing sanctions from a largely united West. The message, delivered in a region that was watching closely for signals about how the US might respond to aggression from China, was determined.
“We are navigating a dark hour in our shared history,” Biden said as he sat opposite the leaders of India, Australia and Japan.
Biden warned that Russian President Vladimir Putin is “trying to eradicate a culture”, pointing to Russia’s targeting of Ukrainian schools, churches and museums. And he said the conflict had affected the whole world.
“This is more than just a European issue,” he said. “It’s a global problem.”
The war in Ukraine provided an uneasy backdrop to Biden’s trip to Asia, which ended Tuesday when Air Force One departed Japan to begin the long journey home. The conflict has consumed his time and attention, even as he worked to reaffirm his goal of reorienting US foreign policy toward the Pacific.
At the same time, Biden is hopeful that the US-led response to the war — which includes partners like Japan and South Korea, whom he visited this week — and that Russia stumbles onto the battlefield will be seen as a cautionary tale in Beijing.
Biden tries to clear his warning to China about Taiwan
While acknowledging that the US still agrees with the “One China” policy, Biden said Monday that the idea of Taiwan being taken by force “is (just not) appropriate”.
A day later, Biden told reporters that the US policy of “strategic ambiguity” had not changed. But he offered no qualifications on his earlier statement, saying that only the US position remains the same.
“Policy has not changed at all and I stated that when I made my statement,” Biden said at an event with Quad leaders.
Several of Biden’s top executives were taken aback by the comments Monday, multiple aides told DailyExpertNews, adding they didn’t expect Biden to be so unequivocal. The White House was quick to downplay Biden’s comments, saying they do not reflect a change in US policy. It is the third time in recent months — including at a DailyExpertNews town hall in October — that Biden has said the US would protect Taiwan from a Chinese attack, but the White House would reverse those comments.
Under the “One China” policy, the US recognizes China’s position that Taiwan is part of China, but Beijing has never officially recognized that Beijing is the self-governing island of 23 million inhabitants. The US supplies Taiwan with defensive weapons but has remained deliberately ambiguous about whether it would intervene militarily in the event of a Chinese attack.
China angered by Biden’s comment about Taiwan
Tensions between Beijing and Taipei are at their highest in recent decades, with the Chinese military sending record numbers of fighter jets to the island.
Biden’s comments quickly caught the attention of the Chinese government, with China expressing its “strong discontent and strong opposition” to Biden’s comments and saying it will not allow any outside force to interfere in its “internal affairs”. .
“There is no room for compromise on issues related to China’s sovereignty and territorial integrity and other core interests,” said Wang Wenbin, a spokesman for China’s foreign ministry.
“We have urged the US to take the One China principle seriously… be careful in words and deeds on the Taiwan issue and do not send the wrong signal to pro-Taiwan independence and separatist forces — lest it suffer serious consequences.” will damage the situation in the Taiwan Strait and relations between China and the US.”
Zhu Fenglian, spokesman for China’s Taiwan Affairs Office, added: “We urge the US to stop saying or doing anything that violates the One China Principle and the three joint communiqués between China and the US. … Those who play with fire will surely burn themselves.”
A revitalized quad is drawing Beijing’s wrath
Beijing has also criticized the Quad group as an “Indo-Pacific NATO”, accusing it of “trumping the Cold War mentality” and “fueling geopolitical rivalries”.
Ahead of Tuesday’s talks, a senior US government official stressed that the group is not a formal alliance bloc, without a central secretariat or headquarters.
“The aim here is not to create many formal structures. The aim is to find ways to work together on issues of interest to the region,” the official said, adding that it was too early to talk about expansion of the group outside the region. four current participants.
Still, Biden and the other leaders unveiled new initiatives in maritime information sharing, Covid vaccines and climate as part of their meeting. And Biden’s aides see the Quad as a critical part of a foreign policy strategy that places a lot of emphasis on cultivating relationships in Asia.
“I think we’re all impressed with how comfortable the leaders are with each other and how comfortable they are having very, very serious conversations,” the official said.
Biden also had an individual meeting with the Prime Ministers of India and Australia on Tuesday before returning to Washington. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese became Australia’s leader just days ago, and US officials have been applauded for his willingness to make his first appointment with the Quad summit.
“I don’t know how you do it,” Biden told his new counterpart.
Talks with Narendra Modi of India would likely be more fraught as he resists US pressure to condemn Russia for its war in Ukraine. India relies on Moscow for most of its arms purchases, a historic partnership it is reluctant to break.
At the beginning of the meeting, Biden said he and Modi would discuss the effect the war has had “on the entire global world order.”
“The US and India will continue to consult closely on how to mitigate these negative effects,” Biden said.
Biden works to revitalize alliances in Asia on maiden voyage to the Indo-Pacific
The visit comes later during Biden’s presidency than he may have wanted, according to officials, who say Covid restrictions and the pull of other crises made it difficult to plan a trip. He is the third US president in a row to attempt to refocus foreign policy on Asia, although events in between have often stood in the way.
Yet there is currently no Asian equivalent of NATO that has provided critical structure to the Western response to Russian aggression. And China has worked hard in recent years to cultivate countries in the region while adjusting its regional power.
Biden has taken several steps to counter those moves — revitalizing the Quad; share sensitive US nuclear submarine technology with Australia for the first time; and last week hosted a summit of Southeast Asian leaders at the White House to discuss trade and security.
Still, it’s far from clear that those moves have done much to curb China’s ambitions. And some analysts have pointed to parallels between Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and fears for Taiwan’s future.
Donald Judd and Nectar Gan of DailyExpertNews contributed to this report.
