Biden does not consider a Chinese attack on Taiwan “imminent”

U.S. President Joe Biden said he does not believe China’s leadership is planning an “imminent” attack on Taiwan, while stating that Washington remains committed to maintaining peace in the Taiwan Strait.

Speaking at a resort hotel on the Indonesian island of Bali, Biden said the U.S. would “vigorously compete” with China on the world stage.

“But I’m not looking for conflict, I want to manage that competition responsibly,” he added.

Tensions over Taiwan have risen sharply in recent months. Beijing has sent fighter jets into Taiwan’s airspace and fired missiles into neighboring waters, protesting an August visit to Taipei by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.

China’s Foreign Ministry said that Chinese President Xi Jinping asked Biden to keep his promise that the U.S. would not support Taiwan’s independence and did not intend to use Taiwan as a tool to contain China.

The message from the Chinese side said, “The common aspiration of the Chinese people is to preserve the unity and territorial integrity of the motherland. Anyone who wants to separate Taiwan from China is against China’s national interests. The Chinese people will never agree to this!”