BIDEN STANDS UP FOR CHINA: Secretary of State Antony Blinken in China Says ‘We Do Not Support Taiwan Independence.’

Who could have seen it coming?

UPDATE: ‘Whatever You Need:’ How Hunter Biden Helped the CCP’s Premier Influence Group Gain a US Foothold.

ANOTHER UPDATE (FROM GLENN): The headline is a little stronger than the story, even though it’s accurate. But there’s also this: “We remain opposed to any unilateral changes to the status quo by either side.’ Blinken added that the United States continues to ‘expect the peaceful resolution’ of the countries’ differences but that America also ‘remain[s] committed’ to ‘making sure that Taiwan has the ability to defend itself.’ Blinken is the first U.S. cabinet-level official to visit China since 2019 and ended the trip on Monday with an unexpected meeting with Chinese president Xi Jinping.”

So on the one hand, this isn’t really a change in U.S. policy. On the other hand, it’s important to make certain that it’s not interpreted as some sort of tacit permission for China to launch an invasion. See also Biden’s off-the-cuff remarks that made Putin feel safe about invading Ukraine, or Dean Acheson’s misstep that led to the Korean War. Or, for that matter, Amb. April Glaspie’s remarks to Saddam Hussein that made him think he could safely invade Kuwait.