In struggle between autocracy and democracy, Biden chooses Taiwan for his team

WASHINGTON — Among all the participants in President Joe Biden’s virtual summit on democracy this week, Taiwan holds a unique distinction: It’s the only one that the United States considers to be democratic but not a country of its own.

The island falls into a gray area of American foreign policy because China regards Taiwan as a breakaway province and has vowed to reclaim it, while Taiwan functions autonomously even though it hasn’t formally declared independence. Over the years, Washington’s approach to Taiwan has been guided by arcane and sometimes contradictory policies designed to support the island without provoking Beijing.

Now Biden, by inviting Taiwan to his summit on Thursday and Friday, has taken a careful step toward drawing Taiwan