Biden says US backs Taiwan after China's state media slams disastrous Afghanistan withdrawal

On Tuesday, the Biden administration assured Taiwan that the United States would uphold a previous commitment to help the country defend itself from Chinese military activity amidst threats from Chinese state-run media warning Taiwan that America would be no help given the outcome of Afghanistan.

This after the Chinese state-run newspaper the Global Times on Monday published an editorial warning Taiwan that the doomed withdrawal of the United States from Afghanistan is "an omen of Taiwan's future fate."

A senior Biden administration official told Fox News on Tuesday that the United States has "an abiding interest in peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait. We consider this central to the security and stability of the broader Indo-Pacific region. Events elsewhere in the world are not going to change this enduring interest."

"It's also unfortunate that PRC's state media is exploiting the human suffering in Afghanistan to take shots at the United States. That's not what responsible powers do," the official added.

"We will uphold our commitment under [the 1979 Taiwan Relations Act], we will continue to support Taiwan's self-defense, and we will continue to oppose any unilateral changes to the status quo," they continued.

White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki expressed a similar sentiment, stating that the United States would uphold the Taiwan Relations Act.

"Our message is very clear. We stand by, as is outlined in the Taiwan relations agreement (sic), by individuals in Taiwan," she said. "We stand by partners around the world who are subject to this kind of propaganda that Russia and China are projecting. And we're going to continue to deliver on those words with actions."

"Our objective in Afghanistan is to deliver also on what the president promised, which is to not put the men and women who served our country bravely over the past 20 years in harm's way. Again, And that's what we'll also be projecting to them as well," Psaki added.

Also on Tuesday, The Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs released a statement saying "[Thirty-nine] years ago today, China and the US jointly published the August 17 Communique. The US side pledged that 'it intends gradually to reduce its sale of arms to Taiwan, leading, over a period of time, to a final resolution.'"

As part of that communique, the US officially recognizes a "One-China policy," where the US officially recognizes the People's Republic of China, not the island of Taiwan as its own nation.

"The one-China principle is at the core of the communique, as well as the other 2 China-US joint communiques," said the Twitter statement. "But the US keeps breaching its own commitment, engaging in official exchanges with the Taiwan region & selling arms to it. The Chinese side has made strong reactions to these wrong moves to firmly safeguard its sovereignty & security interests."

"China will make every effort with the utmost sincerity for peaceful reunification. In the meantime, we reserve the option of taking all necessary measures in response to foreign interference and the separatist activities of the very small number of "Taiwan independence" forces," said the statement. The statement comes just one day after the Chinese military conducted drills off the coast of Taiwan, forcing the island to send out its own jets to warn the Chinese to stay away.

"No one should underestimate the strong determination, firm will & strong capability of the Chinese people to safeguard national sovereignty & territorial integrity," the statement continues. China urges the US to stop official contacts & military ties with Taiwan, stop arms sales to Taiwan, and reject the "Taiwan independence" separatist forces and their separatist activities.