Even with someone seemingly as inept as President Joe Biden, you sometimes bewilderingly have to ask the question, “What are you doing?”
The communist-ruled country of China has been sometimes slyly — sometimes not — attempted to exert its authority over other countries in the region that clearly want, and have received at times to a degree, their independence (i.e. Hong Kong & Taiwan).
On Tuesday, CNN reported that Biden “made clear” that Taiwan is on its own when it comes to its independence from China.
“I said that they have to decide -- Taiwan, not us. We are not encouraging independence,” Biden said, just one day after meeting with Chinese Communist Party (CCP) dictator Xi Jinping.
Biden cited the Taiwan Act from 1979, which he said states that Taiwan has to make its own “decisions” on whether or not to be independent.
“We made very clear we support the Taiwan Act, and that's it," Biden said. ”Its independence. It makes its own decisions.”
According to the U.S. Congress summary of the Taiwan Relations Act (H.R.2479):
Declares that peace and stability in the area are in the political, security, and economic interests of the United States, and are matters of international concern. States that the United States decision to establish diplomatic relations with the People's Republic of China rests upon the expectation that the future of Taiwan will be determined by peaceful means and that any effort to determine the future of Taiwan by other than peaceful means, including by boycotts or embargoes is considered a threat to the peace and security of the Western Pacific area and of grave concern to the United States. States that the United States shall provide Taiwan with arms of a defensive character and shall maintain the capacity of the United States to resist any resort to force or other forms of coercion that would jeopardize the security, or social or economic system, of the people of Taiwan.
Reaffirms as a commitment of the United States the preservation of human rights of the people of Taiwan.
Declares that in furtherance of the principle of maintaining peace and stability in the Western Pacific area, the United States shall make available to Taiwan such defense articles and defense services in such quantity as may be necessary to enable Taiwan to maintain a sufficient self-defense capacity as determined by the President and the Congress. Requires such determination of Taiwan's defense needs to be reviewed by United States military authorities in connection with recommendations to the President and the Congress.
Directs the President to inform the Congress promptly of threats to the security or the social or economic system of the people on Taiwan, and any danger to the United States interests arising from such threats. Specifies that the President and the Congress shall determine the appropriate action in response to any such danger.
So, while Biden is correct that Taiwan’s decision-making for its own independence is on them, does anyone really think that Taiwan would take on a vastly superior military force, China, should China decide that they are infiltrating and taking over their country?
And while the Taiwan Relations Act does say, as evidenced above, that the U.S. “shall make available to Taiwan such defense articles and defense services in such quantity as may be necessary to enable Taiwan to maintain a sufficient self-defense capacity as determined by the President and the Congress,” what’s to say that Biden won’t leave Taiwan on its own should a military conflict commence?
Keep in mind, China’s desire to completely take over Taiwan — on top of their takeover of Hong Kong — is just a precursor of possible future hostile takeovers that far-left government entities have been known to undertake in the past.
All that said is to say that a global conflict with China and their allies — such as Iran and Russia — could escalate with fewer checks in place.