Biden’s Taiwan vow creates confusion not clarity – and raises China tensions

Joe Biden in Tokyo on Monday. Biden has already shown himself less comfortable with shades of grey than his predecessors. Photograph: Anadolu Agency/Getty Images

The somewhat routine press conference in Tokyo was winding down when the question came. “Are you willing to get involved militarily to defend Taiwan if it comes to that?”

Many past American presidents would have deflected, demurred, declined to give a straight answer. Not Joe Biden. “Yes,” he replied bluntly, adding: “That’s the commitment we made.”