Joe Biden, 79, is the 46th President of the United States. He has been in the White House since January 20, 2021
Washington – The western front, the Ukrainian one, is not enough. Now the eastern one is also opening. On the Pacific, where communist China and Taiwan face each other. Predictable, feared. Also inevitable? Joe Biden, President of the United States, formalizes the new crisis. Yesterday in Tokyo, where he was visiting, he categorically answered a reporter’s question. The question was: Mr. President, you do not want direct US involvement in the war in Ukraine, would you be ready for military involvement in the defense of Taiwan? The answer was a clear “yes”. His Secretary of State, Antony Blinken, shuffled in his chair, his eyes on his cell phone. Embarrassment among White House staff. An immediate clarification that smacks of correction, as it used to be with Ukraine and Putin: Our politics are not changing, one China – two systems, the communist on the continent, the liberal on the island, which does not want to be overwhelmed. Later, Biden himself softened the tone: yes, just one China, but “that doesn’t mean it can take Taiwan by force.” “Beijing plays with fire every time it flies its planes into Taiwanese space.” “We made a promise and we will deliver.” He was referring to the Taiwan Relations Act: immediate American intervention in the event of a communist attack on “separated brothers”. Conclusion: “I don’t think that will happen. We are against any violent change in the situation … Another action, similar to that in Ukraine, would have even greater weight.” The reaction from Beijing is obviously angry: do not underestimate our determination, no compromises and no concessions. Taiwan is Chinese territory. In Washington, commentators speak of gaffes. Biden still seems to have disregarded the golden rule of diplomacy: “Never tell a truth that should not be told” (essayist Michael Kinsley). Two recent examples. Referring to Ukraine, in the midst of a fever, he said a Russian attack would likely have “limited” targets. A couple of days …