The last question from the assembled press pool in Tokyo, Japan, brought about the most serious foreign policy response from the installed occupant of the White House. Joe Biden said he is willing to use military force against China if Beijing decides to take over Taiwan.
[Transcript] – Q Very quickly: You didn’t want to get involved in the Ukraine conflict militarily for obvious reasons. Are you willing to get involved militarily to defend Taiwan, if it comes to that?
PRESIDENT BIDEN: Yes.
Q You are?
PRESIDENT BIDEN: That’s the commitment we made. That’s the commitment we made. We are not — Look, here’s the situation: We agree with the One China policy; we’ve signed on to it and all the attendant agreements made from there. But the idea that — that it can be taken by force — just taken by force — is just not a — is just not appropriate. It will dislocate the entire region and be another action similar to what happened in — in Ukraine. And so, it’s a burden that is even stronger.
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Secretary Yellen was asked about the need for increased western government bans against Russian exports.
As we have outlined, this is ultimately the counter strategic goal of Russia and Putin’s economic allies. It’s a feature, not a flaw, in the process that Joe Biden has triggered.