President Joe Biden says the United States will come to Taiwan's defence and has a commitment to defend the island China claims as its own territory.
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"Yes, we have a commitment to do that," Biden said at a CNN town hall on Thursday when asked if the United States would come to Taiwan's defence.
Biden said people should not worry about Washington's military strength because "China, Russia and the rest of the world knows we're the most powerful military in the history of the world".
"What you do have to worry about is whether or not they're going to engage in activities that would put them in a position where they may make a serious mistake," he said.
China's foreign ministry on Friday urged the US to avoid sending the wrong signals to proponents of Taiwanese independence.
China has no room for concessions when it comes to its core interests, ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin told a daily news briefing in Beijing.
Military tensions between Taiwan and China are at their worst in more than 40 years, Taiwan's defence minister Chiu Kuo-cheng said this month, adding China would be capable of mounting a "full-scale" invasion by 2025.
China claims Taiwan as its own territory, which should be taken by force if necessary.
Taiwan says it is an independent country and will defend its freedoms and democracy.
Australian Associated Press
