Crickets huh? I must have missed your outrage back then.....
U.S. does not support Taiwan independence, Biden says
The Biden Administrations position on Taiwan…….
On
multiple different occasions, Biden publicly committed to defend Taiwan:
- In August 2021, he told George Stephanopoulos: “We made a sacred commitment to Article Five that if in fact anyone were to invade or take action against our NATO allies, we would respond. Same with Japan, same with South Korea, same with—Taiwan.”
- In October 2021 during a townhall, Biden said that “Yes, we have a commitment to do that”—i.e., defend Taiwan.
- In September 2022, Biden said to 60 Minutes, “Yes, if in fact there was an unprecedented attack” he would send US forces to defend Taiwan.
- In June 2024 he said to Time, “We are not seeking independence for Taiwan nor will we, in fact, not defend Taiwan if they if, if China unilaterally tries to change the status.”
These statements align with those of President Bush (43) and were a departure of those made by Senator Biden. Why the change? The most likely explanation is that Biden witnessed Beijing changing the status quo in the Taiwan Strait, and determined that Beijing was taking actions that run counter to the spirit of the TRA. In light of Beijing’s evident moves preparing for an eventual non-peaceful takeover of Taiwan, Biden’s own calculations changed.
Beyond his statements on the defense of Taiwan, Biden also raised eyebrows for his comments regarding Taiwan independence.
In November 2021, Biden said in reference to Taiwan, “I said that they have to decide – Taiwan, not us. We are not encouraging independence. […] We’re encouraging that they do exactly what the Taiwan Act requires. […] That’s what we’re doing. Let them make up their mind. Period.” There is a key difference between “encouraging” and “supporting,” and Biden’s November 2021 statement seemed to run counter to the long-term US policy of not supporting Taiwan independence. Around one year later, during the
60 Minutes interview mentioned earlier, Biden said, “Taiwan makes their own judgments about their independence. […] We are not moving—we’re not encouraging their being independent. We’re not—that—that’s their decision.” Here, Biden again used “encourage,” not “support.” Biden did not say that his administration did not “support” independence until after President Lai Ching-te (賴清德) won the
January 2024 presidential election.
The Trump Administration position on Taiwan…….
As of May 2026, the second Trump administration has adopted a highly transactional and ambivalent stance on Taiwan, combining major arms sales with intense economic pressure and questioning of security commitments. While officially stating policy is "unchanged," Trump has pressured Taipei on semiconductor investments, threatened tariffs, and expressed skepticism regarding defending the island, placing Taiwan at the center of US-China trade negotiations. [
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Key Aspects of the Stance (As of May 2026):
- Transactional Approach: Trump has accused Taiwan of "stealing" the U.S. semiconductor industry and demanded they pay for protection.
- Economic Pressure: In April 2025, the administration imposed a 32% tariff on most imports from Taiwan, utilizing economic pressure to secure trade deals and investment pledges of $500 billion from Taipei.
- Ambiguous Security Guarantee: Unlike the previous administration, Trump has not explicitly vowed to defend Taiwan if attacked, leading to uncertainty about the U.S. commitment to the island's security.
- Arms Sales: Despite his rhetoric, the administration authorized an $11 billion arms package in late 2025 and weighed further sales, using these as leverage in discussions with Beijing.
- Diplomatic Limitations: The administration has tightened control over diplomatic interactions, including denying a stopover request from Taiwan's president in 2025. [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6]
Policy Contradictions:
While Secretary of State Marco Rubio has maintained that U.S. policy on Taiwan is "unchanged" and that the U.S. would not abandon it, this conflicts with President Trump's own comments that he would discuss security, such as arms sales, directly with President Xi. This approach has caused concern in Taipei about the reliability of U.S. security commitments under a "business-first" approach. [
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