President Joe Biden said Monday that the US would intervene militarily if China were to invade Taiwan, saying the burden to protect Taiwan is “even stronger’ after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. It was one of the most forceful presidential statements in support of self-governing in decades. Biden, at a news conference in Tokyo, said yes when asked if he was willing to get involved militarily to defend Taiwan if China invaded. That’s the commitment we made, he added. The US traditionally has avoided making such an explicit security guarantee to Taiwan, with which it no longer has a mutual defence treaty. The 1979 Taiwan Relations Act, which has governed US relations with the island, does not require the US to step in militarily to defend Taiwan if China invades, but makes it American policy to ensure Taiwan has the resources to defend itself and to prevent any unilateral change of status in Taiwan by Beijing. Speaking at the Tokyo meet, Biden said any effort by China against Taiwan would just not be appropriate.