[LIST] [*]In August 2021, he told [George Stephanopoulos]('https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/full-transcript-abc-news-george-stephanopoulos-interview-president/story?id=79535643'): “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,]('https://www.cnn.com/2021/10/21/politics/taiwan-china-biden-town-hall/index.html') Biden said that “Yes, we have a commitment to do that”—i.e., defend Taiwan. [][In September 2022]('https://www.cbsnews.com/news/president-joe-biden-taiwan-60-minutes-2022-09-18/'), 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*]('https://time.com/6984968/joe-biden-transcript-2024-interview/'), “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.” [/LIST] 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]('https://www.cnn.com/2021/11/16/politics/biden-china-taiwan/index.html'), 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]('https://www.cbsnews.com/news/president-joe-biden-60-minutes-interview-transcript-2022-09-18/') 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]('https://www.reuters.com/world/biden-us-does-not-support-taiwan-independence-2024-01-13/').
As of mid-May 2026, Iran is allowing Chinese vessels to pass through the Strait of Hormuz, following diplomatic talks between Beijing and Tehran. Around 30 Chinese-linked ships have used an Iranian-managed "safe" corridor to transit the waterway since May 13, despite a broader U.S. naval blockade restricting other traffic.