They say the third time¡¯s a charm.

Although it¡¯s unclear whether that was on U.S. President Joe Biden¡¯s mind as he offered an unequivocal ¡°yes¡± when asked if Washington would militarily defend democratic Taiwan in an invasion by China, it was his third such affirmation since August that appeared to break with the long-held policy of ¡°strategic ambiguity¡± over how the United States might react.

All three utterances were later walked back by Biden administration officials.