President-elect Donald Trump said the United States did not necessarily have to stick to its long-standing position that Taiwan is part of “one China,” questioning nearly four decades of policy in a move likely to antagonize Beijing.
Trump’s comments on Fox News Sunday came after he prompted a diplomatic protest from China over his decision to accept a telephone call on December 2 from Taiwan’s president.
“I fully understand the ‘one China’ policy, but I don’t know why we have to be bound by a ‘one China’ policy unless we make a deal with China having to do with other things, including trade,” Trump told Fox.
Chinese officials had no immediate reaction to Trump’s remarks but they prompted an online response from the nationalistic Global Times which warned that the ‘one China’ policy is “non-negotiable” and dropping it could lead to Beijing supporting US enemies.
“The one-China policy cannot be traded,” the commentary said, calling Trump “as ignorant of diplomacy as a child”. It said if the US openly supports Taiwan’s independence and ramps up arms sales to the democratically self-ruled island, China could aid “forces hostile to the US.”
Beijing considers Taiwan a renegade province and the subject is a sensitive one for China.
After Trump’s phone conversation with Taiwan’s president, the Obama administration said senior White House aides had spoken with Chinese officials to insist that Washington’s “one China” policy remained intact. The administration also warned that progress made in the US relationship with China could be undermined by a “flaring up” of the Taiwan issue.
Following Trump’s latest comments, a White House aide said the Obama administration had no reaction beyond its previously stated policy positions.
In the Fox interview, Trump criticized China over its currency policies, its activities in the South China Sea and its stance toward North Korea. He said it was not up to Beijing to decide whether he should take a call from Taiwan’s leader.
“I don’t want China dictating to me and this was a call put in to me,” Trump said. “It was a very nice call. Short. And why should some other nation be able to say I can’t take a call?”
“I think it actually would’ve been very disrespectful, to be honest with you, not taking it,” Trump added.
right over north korea with a a dozen nukes.. when plane is fired upon , it will be there fault that the country is destroyed
Nathan Adams sad that an avergae chinese cant use google and is a censored controlled person with no idea what is goiung on in the world!!
i thought tiawan was not part of china ha ha ha
north korea is on the table.
Zheng He what about your back stabbing Hindi-cheeni Bhai Bahi slogan. Go and read your history! Yes snake fits your modus operandi for sure!
Nathan Adams I’m a nobody – just a frequent news reader of alternative media not brainwashed by western MSM like most of American general public.
Talk about arrogance. Arrogance and narcissisism is as American as cocacola.
Rajeev Chawla Rajeev the honest Indian with a genuine facebook id.
Keep flipping from bomber to trade what next snake charming?
Just great now you are talking about trade. What next ? keep flipping. You should be inMcdonald flipping burgers. Lease the adults alone.
Zheng He YOUR arrogance clouts your judgment
Zheng He You seem to have a fake ID on facebook, that aside, we all know this is just to send a "message" and no one is really afraid of anyone else. The crux of the issue is trade. US got the short end of the stick trading with China, and he’s trying to correct that, albeit, bit immature if you ask me. He could care less what you do in the region. Let the others in your neighbourhood get the offensive weapons to annoy you. US just wants to fix trade imbalance with your country.. Kapish?
Didn’t they send 2 aircraft carrier to show their muscles and thump their chest close to SCS in the Philipines few months ago ? and then what? they left within 2 days, did they frighten the Chinese? the yanks didn’t even realised their 2 AC was already locked on target and could be sunk if the shooting starts. Maybe Indian can send in they brave navies to frighten the Chinese.Lol.
When chinese are nice to you, you need to watch out, right not they’re barking, which is a good sign. Trump should fly a B-2 Stealth on the same route to calm the Chinese nerves.
I thought the U.S. is an independent nation, not true, LOL.
The gang of vietnamese communist leaders deserve licking Trump’s boots!
The Chinese tend to bluff while weak. It is when they are quiet that you have to worry.
LOL, he is fillinghis cabinet with generals, big oils, and science haters. After he get over with America in 8 years, even Yemen will be doing better than America.