My latest in PJ Media:
If you’re looking for more indication that Old Joe Biden is unfit to be president of the United States, you never have to look very long. On Monday, Biden had a virtual meeting with the president of the People’s Republic of China, Xi Jinping. Although this tête-à-tête was reported as lasting nearly four hours, the White House issued only a skimpy six-paragraph “Readout” of what was discussed. Given the fact that even the White House itself often depicts Biden as barely coherent, it’s easy to see why a transcript of this marathon meeting wasn’t offered. Another reason becomes clear even from the White House’s terse “Readout”: Xi spanked the weak and feckless pseudo-president, and got him back into line.
Of course, even though it is brief, the “Readout” is larded with a great deal of the usual boilerplate. “The two leaders” (since they’re both evidently playing for the same socialist team, shouldn’t that be “the two Great Leaders”?), we’re told, “discussed the complex nature of relations between our two countries and the importance of managing competition responsibly.” Hey, that’s terrific, but really, can you imagine Old Joe holding a credible discussion on the complex nature of anything? Imagine if the transcript were released! “Look, Pooh, here’s the deal…”
But actually, Biden wouldn’t have dared to say “here’s the deal” to Xi, because it was clear from the “Readout” that the Chinese Communist leader, not the ostensible president, was calling the shots. “On Taiwan,” it noted blandly, “President Biden underscored that the United States remains committed to the ‘one China’ policy, guided by the Taiwan Relations Act, the three Joint Communiques, and the Six Assurances, and that the United States strongly opposes unilateral efforts to change the status quo or undermine peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait.”
This statement was necessary to sort out the mess Biden made during a CNN town hall on Oct. 21, when he was asked whether the United States would defend Taiwan if it were attacked by the People’s Republic. “Yes,” said the old puppet precipitously, “we have a commitment to do that.”
Well, actually the situation was more complicated. As Reuters noted at the time, “While Washington is required by law to provide Taiwan with the means to defend itself, it has long followed a policy of ‘strategic ambiguity’ on whether it would intervene militarily to protect Taiwan in the event of a Chinese attack.” In walking back Biden’s remarks, a White House spokesperson made it clear that the alleged man in charge was actually going off half-cocked, and the United States would not intervene militarily if China were attacked: “The U.S. defense relationship with Taiwan is guided by the Taiwan Relations Act. We will uphold our commitment under the Act, we will continue to support Taiwan’s self-defense, and we will continue to oppose any unilateral changes to the status quo.”
There is more. Read the rest here.
Rachele C. Raanan says
The United States will support Taiwan as long as it can defend itself – in other words, it will sell it weapons. While this policy helps support the American defense industry, it also allows the US to deny any commitment for the defense if its ‘ally’ in the event of attack or existential danger.
While it’s easy to blame senile, old Joe, this policy has been in place under many administrations – of both parties. There are few things more dangerous than to be an ‘ally’ of the US. (One only need look at the record.) The US wouldn’t dare offend, threaten and interfere in the internal affairs of its enemies – while it does so with impunity to its ‘allies’.
b.a. freeman says
beginning in 1979, the US began betraying the freedom-loving people of taiwan by supporting the “one-china” policy of the PRC. we apparently let the taiwanese think that we supported *their* version of a one-china policy, meaning that the taiwanese government was the legitimate government of all of china, but in reality, we supported the PRC as the “legitimate” government. and this, BTW, was just 3 years after the “cultural revolution” had ended, so it’s not like we didn’t know that the CCP had killed *MILLIONS* of its own citizens for 10 years. there is no way that i could say that the US supports taiwan with a straight face, because we really do extract money from them by selling them weapons.
i really wish the taiwanese well, but taiwan will no doubt soon be in the position of hong kong, except with the destruction of war inflicted upon it. the fascists who originated this stupid policy – i’m looking at U, jimmy carter – should be ashamed of themselves. they have done absolutely *N*O*T*H*I*N*G* to support freedom in taiwan (or in any of east asia, for that matter, although jimmy can’t be blamed for afghanistan … but joe dementia can be!).
Wellington says
You paint with a very broad brush, Rachele. Yes, sometimes the USA has been less than stalwart in defending its allies but numerous times it has been quite forceful and loyal to its allies, for instance in WWII, to Japan after WWII, to NATO nations and to South Korea.
As for support of Taiwan specifically, Taiwan must indeed defend itself but do you really think that China wouldn’t take into account that America with a strong leader (e.g. Trump) as opposed to America with a weak leader (e.g., Biden) would function as a major consideration for the authoritarian regime that runs China?
Infidel says
Wellington
I think Rachele was talking about more recent history, starting w/ Operation Desert Storm. Yeah, we batted (undeservedly so) for Kuwait, but we let the Kurds down after encouraging an uprising, and also drawing inappropriate equivalencies b/w Saddam and Hitler, and then doing nothing about it. Not that Bush 43 did the right thing: the right thing would have been not issue statements about Saddam == Hitler, no matter what we thought about it
I don’t think Taiwan would have any issues defending itself, but there is a qualitative difference b/w China fighting onlly Taiwan, vs being pulled into a war w/ Japan, US and India. But you’re right: Beijing is pretty emboldened by the way we pulled out of Afghanistan
Wellington says
I hope you are correct, Infidel, that Rachele was only addressing herself to recent history but I could not help but conclude that it might be more extensive than that and that is why I responded as I did.
After all, the USA over the past hundred years or so has had to shoulder all kinds of burdens, including being the decisive factor in both world wars (and as admitted per Ludendorff respecting WWI). I wanted to be crystal clear about this as I am sure you will understand, though I do agree that over the past two decades American leadership has been woeful except under Trump—and even before this with someone like LBJ stupidly micromanaging the Vietnam War.
Always good to get your perspective on “matters.” Besides, I am overwhelmingly in agreement with you on such “matters.” Best to your and yours.
Phil Copson says
“…the United States would not intervene militarily if TAIWAN was attacked…” you mean, not China…..
Infidel says
The worst thing Biden said in that call was US commitment to the ‘one-China policy’. That should remain ambiguous officially, but the real answer should be that the US would respect the wishes of the people of Taiwan. In other words, if Taiwan wants to be ‘Republic of China’, the US would recognize that, but more importantly, if Taiwan wants to be fully independent and renounce all claims to being the ‘real China’ i.e. if Taiwan wants to become the ‘Republic of Taiwan’, the US would recognize that as well
Of course, that’s too much common sense to expect from out State Department, let alone the addled ‘commander-in-chief’ that we have who’s busy searching for his mask after the signing ceremony of the ‘Infrastructure bill’
Walter Sieruk says
Two appropriate and fitting titles for despicable treasonous Joe would be “Biden the treacherous” or “Biden the traitorous.”
tim gallagher says
I imagine that all the world tyrants and evil scum, Xi, Putin, Erdogan, and others, would all be lining up to have a talk with Joe Biden because they would all know that he is so far gone into mental decline and they are all likely to run rings around him. Biden is simply not up to the job he has been elected to do.
Walter Sieruk says
President pretender Biden is a catastrophe and calamity for America and a treasonous disaster and traitorous tragedy for the American people and a treacherous curse upon the Taiwan and her citizens.
In contrast, Bogus President Biden is a demonic blessing to that aggressive, hostile tyrannical Communist regime of mainland Red China
Walter Sieruk says
Joe Biden very, obviously is ether completely incompetent and despicably treasonous. In the first or second case Biden shouldn’t have been allowed be enter the Office of the Presidency in the first place.
Furthermore Biden is also weak and feeble-minded as observed by his inability to walk upstairs and his disastrous national polices, as having porous borders and international polices, and seen in the catastrophe he created in Afghanistan.
As the former US President Theodore Roosevelt that the Office of the Presidency in not only a powerful position but “a very strong man” is needed for the Oval Office. Joe Biden is not a strong man but as already stated is weak and feeble.
Roosevelt also, rightly, believed “a man holding that very important Office “should be sharply watch by the people [and] held to a strict accountability by them.”
Hank says
China looks hypocritical on Taiwan when at the same time it is obvious that they are preventing Koreans from reuniting peacefully. The USA and Russia allowed East and West Germany to unite peacefully. So why should North and South Korea not be able to unite peacefully? Why should the US and China not agree on the same thing? China obviously is the stumbling block here.