Biden: US would defend Taiwan against Chinese invasion
Beijing (AP): President Joe Biden says US forces would defend Taiwan if China tries to invade the self-ruled island claimed by Beijing as part of its territory, adding to displays of official American support for the island democracy.
Biden said yes when asked during an interview broadcast Sunday on CBS News's 60 Minutes programme whether US forces, US men and women, would defend Taiwan in the event of a Chinese invasion."
CBS News reported the White House said after the interview US policy hasn't changed. That policy says Washington wants to see Taiwan's status resolved peacefully but doesn't say whether U.S. forces might be sent in response to a Chinese attack.
Tension is rising following efforts by Chinese President Xi Jinping's government to intimidate Taiwan by firing missiles into the nearby sea and flying fighter jets nearby and visits to Taipei by political figures including U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.
Taiwan's foreign ministry on Monday expressed sincere gratitude to Biden for affirming the U.S. government's rock-solid promise of security to Taiwan.
Taiwan will resist authoritarian expansion and aggression and deepen the close security partnership with Washington and other governments with similar thinking to protect regional stability, the statement said.
Washington is obligated by federal law to see that Taiwan has the means to defend itself but doesn't say whether US forces would be sent. The United States has no formal relations with the island but maintains informal diplomatic ties.
Taiwan and China split in 1949 after a civil war that ended with the Communist Party in control of the mainland. The two governments say they are one country but dispute which is entitled to be the national leader.
Beijing criticizes official foreign contact with Taiwan's elected government as encouragement to make its de facto independence permanent, a step the mainland says would lead to war.
Washington says it doesn't support formal independence for Taiwan, a stance Biden repeated in the interview broadcast Sunday.
Taiwan makes their own judgments about their independence, the president said. We're not encouraging their being independent.
In May, Biden said yes when asked at a news conference in Tokyo whether he was willing to get involved militarily to defend Taiwan if China invaded.
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ED lied in court about Arvind Kejriwal's diet in jail; conspiracy to kill him: Atishi
New Delhi, Apr 18: Delhi Cabinet minister Atishi on Thursday claimed there was a "huge conspiracy" to kill Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, who has been arrested by the Enforcement Directorate in the Delhi excise policy case, by denying him home-cooked food in the jail.
Her charge came hours after the ED claimed before a court that Kejriwal is eating high sugar foods like mangoes and sweets every day despite having type 2 diabetes to create grounds for medical bail.
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) made the claim before special judge for CBI and ED cases, Kaveri Baweja, who directed the Tihar jail authorities to file a report in the matter, including Kejriwal's diet chart.
Addressing a press conference, Atishi accused the ED of lying about the chief minister's diet.
"The BJP through its wing ED is trying to harm Kejriwal's health. They are trying to stop the supply of home-cooked food to Kejriwal in jail. The ED lied in court and said that Kejriwal is having tea with sugar and eating sweets. This is a complete lie. Kejriwal is taking an artificial sweetener," she said.
Atishi said the ED told the court that Kejriwal is eating bananas.
"Any doctor will tell you that diabetes patients are asked to carry banana or any toffee or chocolate because a drop in sugar-level can be dangerous for life. The ED said he is eating aloo-puri. The ED should be afraid of God for lying so much. He ate puri only on the first day of Navratra. All these lies are being spread by the BJP and ED to stop the supply of home-cooked food to Kejriwal," she alleged.
Once he is disallowed home food, it will not be known what Kejriwal is being fed in the jail and when, she said.
"From past few days, Kejriwal's sugar level is over 300 mg/dl, but he has been denied insulin by Tihar jail authorities. There's a conspiracy to kill Kejriwal by stopping his home cooked food supply," she alleged.
The ED claimed Kejriwal was consuming high-sugar foods to seek bail on medical grounds, or shift to a hospital.
