US President Joe Biden said China was playing with fire by threatening Taiwan and vowed that the US military would intervene if the island was attacked.

Speaking in Japan on his first visit to East Asia, Biden warned authorities in Beijing that they were “playing a dangerous game” in their Taiwan policy, as the US president put it.

Biden’s words, according to many who follow the region, contradict the official position of Washington, which adheres to the policy of “one China”, that is, it considers the authorities in Beijing the only legitimate government of the country.

At the same time, the United States supports Taiwan and sells weapons to it, although it does not have official diplomatic relations with it.

China considers Taiwan to be its breakaway province, while Taiwan insists it is an independent state. Taiwan has its own constitution, army and elected government.

Biden answered journalists’ questions during a joint press conference with the Japanese prime minister. “They’re playing a dangerous game right now, flying so close and doing all these maneuvers,” the US president said, referring to the increasing reports of Chinese military aircraft invading Taiwan’s air defense zone.

Biden added that a Chinese invasion of Taiwan is not to be expected, but further developments will depend on “how clear the world will make it clear that this kind of action will lead to lasting censure.”

Biden was directly asked if the US would defend Taiwan by military means in the event of a Chinese invasion, although the Americans did not do so after the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Biden responded, “Yes… that’s a commitment we’ve made.”

In 1979, the United States passed the “Taiwan Relations Act”, according to which Washington approves the policy of one China, but undertakes to provide the Taiwan authorities with all the necessary means for self-defense.

Later, a White House spokesman said that Biden’s words did not mean a change in the official American position on China and Taiwan.

“We agree with the one China policy. We approved it – as well as all the agreements emanating from it. But the idea that [Taiwan] can be taken by force … is simply inappropriate. This will shake the entire region and will be another action like what happened in Ukraine,” Joe Biden said.

At the same time, the American president directly linked the situation around Taiwan with the Ukrainian situation, saying that Putin tried to “destroy the identity of Ukraine.”

Judging by the words of the American president, he believes that sanctions against Russia should remain in force for a long time after the end of the military part of the conflict, and this should be a lesson, including to Beijing.

If in the end Russia and Ukraine come to an agreement, and anti-Russian sanctions are not maintained, “what signal will be sent to China regarding the cost of trying to take over Taiwan by force?” Biden asked.

He stressed that Putin must be made to pay for his invasion of Ukraine, not only to punish Russia, but also to make it clear to others, including China, that America and its allies will never accept the use of force to unilaterally change the international order.

Beijing has already expressed dissatisfaction with the fact that Biden drew a parallel between the situation around Taiwan and the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin said Taiwan is an inalienable part of China’s territory and no compromise is possible.

“The Taiwan issue and the Ukraine issue are fundamentally different. It is absurd to compare them. We once again urge the United States to abide by the One China principle,” Wang Wenbin said.

Earlier, US President Joe Biden has already stated that he intends to support Taiwan. Then Washington called the statement of Beijing, which threatened Taiwan with war, unfortunate, noting that tension should not lead to confrontation.

China warned Taiwan that any attempts to gain official independence would mean war.