The Biden administration now insists the U.S. position on Taiwan, which for decades has been one of so-called “strategic ambiguity,” has not changed, despite President Joe Biden vowing that the United States would respond to a Chinese attack on the island similarly to how it has promised to defend NATO allies.

During an interview with George Stephanopoulos of ABC News, Biden had promised the U.S. would “respond” to any possible Chinese invasion of Taiwan, pushing back on criticism from Chinese media that the Afghanistan debacle should make the island of Taiwan question whether the U.S. would protect it or abandon it.