‘He should’ve just congratulated the new president. China doesn’t have to determine who the president of Taiwan is. The people of Taiwan get to determine that.’
Former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy said that President Joe Biden sent mixed messages when stating the United States does not support the independence of Taiwan, just after the island’s pro-independence candidate won the presidential election.
“It’s dangerously confusing,” Mr. McCarthy responded when asked about his reaction during an interview with Fox News on Jan. 15. “He has dealt with Taiwan wrong by giving mixed messages,” Mr. McCarthy added.
In the past, President Joe Biden has repeatedly said the United States would defend Taiwan if the Chinese regime attacked the self-ruled democratic island. In May 2022, he said the United States would “get involved militarily” to defend Taiwan, saying, “That’s the commitment we made.” In an interview with CBS’s 60 Minutes in September 2022, President Biden repeated that U.S. forces would defend Taiwan if “there was an unprecedented attack.”
After each incident, White House spokespersons often clarified that U.S. policy towards Taiwan had not changed.
The United States, like most countries, has no formal ties with Taiwan, but it is the island’s most important international backer and arms provider.
On Jan. 13, about 14 million Taiwanese voters went to the polls to select a new president and legislature. Lai Ching-te, the current vice president of the ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), was elected the next president after picking up 40 percent of the votes. Mr. Lai’s victory gave the DPP—which China sees as a threat to its goal of taking over Taiwan—a third consecutive four-year term in power.
In the interview, the former House Speaker preferred using President Ronald Reagan’s foreign policy approach, “peace through strength.”
“The stronger we are with Taiwan, the stronger the world is and the safer the world becomes,” Mr. McCarthy said.
“But these mixed messages by the president of the free world to say one thing, walk back, and to say another. He should have just congratulated the new president. China doesn’t have to determine who the president of Taiwan is. The people of Taiwan get to determine that,” Mr. McCarthy continued.
By Aaron Pan
