US navy details response to China's possible blockade of Taiwan

The US and its allies would be able to break a Chinese naval blockade of Taiwan if Beijing decides to isolate the self-governed island, Admiral Samuel Paparo, the Commander of the US Pacific Fleet, has assured. In August, China staged the largest ever military drills around Taiwan in response to a visit by US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, effectively cutting the island off from the rest of the world for days. An unnamed US official told Nikkei that Beijing could "Essentially blockade Taiwan's access, through the repeated imposition of these kinds of closure areas, legally, safely, and in a way that would be extraordinarily difficult, either for Taiwan or the US, to challenge and to counter." Such an approach would allow China to isolate the island without actually announcing a blockade. US President Joe Biden said on several occasions that America would intervene militarily if Beijing decided to use force to gain control of Taiwan. During an interview with '60 Minutes' on CBS News last month, Biden was asked if "US forces, US men and women would defend Taiwan in the event of a Chinese invasion?" The president responded, by saying "Yes." Taiwan has been self-governed since 1949, but never officially declared independence from China, with Beijing considering it a part of its territory under the One-China policy.