Donald Trump Speaks To Taiwan’s President, Reversing Decades Of U.S. Policy

[Tresbon]

A foreigner who has only been living in china for a short period of time will soon learn a useful tip when dealing with Chinese, it is about face, saving other's face insted of making others to lose face. bearing this in mind, life in China or with chinese will be much easier.

Trump's conversation with taiwan's Tsai of course made Xi feel like losing face, condsidering Xi just made a phone call to trump a few days ago to congratulate his presidency (theoratically Xi's phone call is the same as tsai's, making Xi and tsai in the same rank), though trump doesn't gain any material benefit from this conversation. I am sure China will react correspondingly after careful assesment.

trump is a novice in diplomatic relation indeed, he does not know how sensitive taiwan issue is in sino-american relationship. taiwan issue, to american side, is trump card, which sould never be used only when forced to use because the damage it brings about to two countries is huge. trump showed his card too hastily, it wont frighten China, but give China time to make full preparations. turmp will face an unfriendly and uncooperative China at least during the first year of his administration. Today's china is not the China 20 years ago when two aircraft carrier fleets would act as a game changer in taiwan strait. You make me uncomfortable, I will make you uncomfortable too! , 互相伤害吧!

 

[Dungeness]

I would not take this too seriously. The chap is more suitable to be on the cover of "Playboy" than in the Whitehouse. He was elected not because he was the best person for the job, but because people hated his opponent.

Two things are certain:

1. The island is not going to drift away;
2. Americans will not shed a drop of blood for Taiwan.

 

[terranMarine]

I would not take this too seriously. The chap is more suitable to be on the cover of "Playboy" than in the Whitehouse. He was elected not because he was the best person for the job, but because people hated his opponent.

Two things are certain:

1. The island is not going to drift away;
2. Americans will not shed a drop of blood for Taiwan.

That's what we have been saying all this time, Americans are sh!tting in their pants at the thought of intervening militarily against China should a war break out. If America is not scared, if they are really the sole super power why not push TW for independence? Why don't they send their Aircraft Carriers and fighters near TW and help TW declare independent?
That's because the US is f*cking scared, just as they are too scared to launch an attack against DPRK after their nuclear tests. When there is no solid proof they invaded Iraq in the name of WMD so what's preventing them repeating the same sh!t against DPRK? That's right, after China warned the US not to take actions US OBEYED.

 

[T-Rex]

Donald Trump Angers China With Historic Phone Call to Taiwan’s President

• Charlie Campbell / Beijing @charliecamp6ell

11:19 PM ET

From left to right: Chiang Ying-ying—AP; Daniel Acker—Bloomberg/Getty Images
Trump went where no U.S. commander-in-chief had gone since diplomatic relations were restored with China in 1979


Donald Trump was elected U.S. President partly because he’s a political outsider. His stump pledge to shake up the American political machine and “drain the swamp” struck a cord with disillusioned voters. Foreign relations, however, are squelchy for a reason.

Twice in the last week Trump has had phone conversations that have prompted consternation with nuclear powers. On Wednesday, he called Pakistan Prime Minister Muhammad Nawaz Sharif a “terrific guy” in comments sure to irk India. On Friday, it was China’s turn.

Trump went where no U.S. commander-in-chief had gone since diplomatic relations were restored with China in 1979 — by speaking directly to the President of Taiwan, the island-state of 23 million that is essentially an independent country but which Beijing still claims as a renegade province to be reclaimed by force if necessary.

First reported by Taiwanese media, the conversation between Trump and Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen was later confirmed by the President-elect in a tweet. “The President of Taiwan CALLED ME today to wish me congratulations on winning the Presidency. Thank you!”


Beijing’s immediate response was brief and muted. “China firmly opposes any official interaction or military contact between [the] U.S. and Taiwan,” said China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs in a statement reported by Chinese state media. Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said Saturday that the call was “just a small trick by Taiwan,” according to Hong Kong’s Phoenix TV.

That’s because both the governments of Beijing and Taipei still officially claim dominion over their combined territory, a remnant of China’s civil war and the Nationalists’ flight across the strait in 1949 as Mao Zedong’s Communist Party seized power on the mainland.

Ties had warmed in recent years due to the “One China” policy — essentially that both sides agree they belong to the same nation but disagree on who is the legitimate power. However, Tsai comes from a political party that does not recognize “One China,” and has historically favored formal independence, even if Tsai has pragmatically stopped short of vocalizing this since her presidential campaign.

In Taipei, political analysts were taken by surprise by the phone call. “Nobody saw this coming,” said Professor Francis Hu, head of politics at Taichung university. “This will make cross-strait relations even more unpredictable in the next few months,” he said. “We already have a lot of problems for the time being and this action will complicate the scenario.”

Trump’s motivations for the call are unclear. Outgoing U.S. President Barack Obama advocated a “rebalancing” to Asia in what analysts saw as an attempt to contain China’s rise. Trump, however, campaigned on a drawdown of international military commitments as well as protectionist trade policies such as import levies. Taiwan media have reported that the Trump Organization is involved in developing hotels in the northwestern city of Taoyuan.

According to a statement from Taiwan’s presidential office, “President Tsai and President Trump exchanged views and ideas on the future governance, in particular, promoting domestic economic development and strengthening national defense so as to enable people to enjoy a better life and safety.”

Trump’s call indicates that the President-elect is willing to shake up the status quo while also that he values America’s existing friendships. A Trump spokesman was quoted saying the President-elect was “well aware of what U.S. policy has been” on the Taiwan issue. And Trump seemed to indicate as such with a later tweet, which said: “Interesting how the U.S. sells Taiwan billions of dollars of military equipment but I should not accept a congratulatory call.”


That is true. Yet international relations are full of quirks, and angering the leaders of 2.6 billion people — over a third of the world’s population — in three days renders more dangerous an already tense world.

With reporting by Nicola Smith/Taipei

http://time.com/4589641/donald-trump-china-taiwan-call/

 

[Desertfalcon]

In the Joint Communique, the United States recognized the Government of the People's Republic of China as the sole legal government of China, acknowledging the Chinese position that there is but one China and Taiwan is part of China.
Sep 13, 2016.
http://www.state.gov/r/pa/ei/bgn/35855.htm

You better know your state position before you start yapping your mouth.


As far as we are concern, Trump is an elected-president. What he does can be consider informal as he is NOT yet the president until inauguration.

First off, the 2016 date on your link is just the date of that page, NOT the communiqué. Your link is nothing more than a reposting of the original 1979 communiqué language that was the very reason, that the Six Assurance were given to Taiwan, to clarify the USA position. Secondly, "acknowledged" the Chinese position does not mean agree with the PRC's interpretation of, hence the clear statement by both our executive authority and our Congress that was given by our State Department in both the agreement with Taiwan and in the six assurances with Taiwan as typified by the official CRS report of the Congress...

http://www.taiwanbasic.com/nstatus/crs-report.htm

"Washington's "one China" policy, however, does not mean that the United States recognizes, nor agrees with Beijing's claims to sovereignty over Taiwan.[23][22] On the contrary, on July 14, 1982, Washington gave specific assurances to Taiwan that the United States did not accept China's claim to sovereignty over the island (Six Assurances),[24][22] and the U.S. Department of State informed the Senate that "[t]he United States takes no position on the question of Taiwan's sovereignty."

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taiwan–United_States_relations#Notable_issues

Or to put it more specifically, as President Bush said in 2001,

"if Taiwan were attacked by China, do we (The U.S.) have an obligation to defend the Taiwanese?" He responded, "Yes, we do...and the Chinese must understand that. The United States would do whatever it took to help Taiwan defend herself."

So perhaps before you tell someone to stop "yapping your mouth" you should look into the whole story so you don't look like the arrogant Chinese fool that you do now.

Who cares after 10 years

We do. Taiwan does.

That's what we have been saying all this time, Americans are sh!tting in their pants at the thought of intervening militarily against China should a war break out. If America is not scared, if they are really the sole super power why not push TW for independence? Why don't they send their Aircraft Carriers and fighters near TW and help TW declare independent?
That's because the US is f*cking scared, just as they are too scared to launch an attack against DPRK after their nuclear tests. When there is no solid proof they invaded Iraq in the name of WMD so what's preventing them repeating the same sh!t against DPRK? That's right, after China warned the US not to take actions US OBEYED.

God, you sound just like a petulant little boy, trying to prove how tough he is!

 

[C130]

I honestly don't think China cares as much about Taiwan as much as everyone thinks.

Taiwan isn't a threat to China and the President elect having a phone conversation with that nation' President is nothing, and I wouldn't be surprised if he invites her to the White House in the future. Is China going to do anything??? probably, at best run it's jaw and kick it's feet in the dirt.

why do I assume this?

because China is killing the U.S in trade, by how much?? -$365 billion dollars every year and it keeps growing. to put that in perspective that is little less than the entire economy of Norway.

China won't mess up a good thing.

 

[terranMarine]

God, you sound just like a petulant little boy, trying to prove how tough he is!

LOL what an intelligent remark? NOT Tell you another story this year your admiral rushed to Beijing after witnessing China's power in SCS. He was so scared he wasted no seconds and boarded his plane to meet our Admiral.

 

[艹艹艹]

Taiwan’s President？I can't find this country in the UN.

I think，Trump won't let American soldiers die in Taiwan.

 

[TaiShang]

I honestly don't think China cares as much about Taiwan as much as everyone thinks.

Taiwan isn't a threat to China and the President elect having a phone conversation with that nation' President is nothing, and I wouldn't be surprised if he invites her to the White House in the future. Is China going to do anything??? probably, at best run it's jaw and kick it's feet in the dirt.

why do I assume this?

because China is killing the U.S in trade, by how much?? -$365 billion dollars every year and it keeps growing. to put that in perspective that is little less than the entire economy of Norway.

China won't mess up a good thing.

It is all moving within the respective boundaries of major power relationship.

Just as the US is now running its jaw and kicking it's feet in the dirt as the allegations of Russian influence and intervention in the US domestic politics run amok.

As long as no concrete harm is done, it is all major power posturing with little substance.

 

[terranMarine]

because China is killing the U.S in trade, by how much?? -$365 billion dollars every year and it keeps growing. to put that in perspective that is little less than the entire economy of Norway.

Damn right we are cashing in but the Taiwan issue will be solved in the future one way or the other. The phone call is not important indeed, but the Western media makes it like China is pissed off.
The Sino-US relation is one of the most important relation on this planet, we collect plenty of dollars and own US debts plus we provide jobs to Americans as well. Both benefit each other, and should there be a war in the future the US won't wage war against China because US will have to suffer too and that's no peanuts.

 

[TaiShang]

The phone call is not important indeed, but the Western media makes it like China is pissed off.

So far there has been no official reaction on part of China. I have just checked the Foreign Ministry website and the spokesperson's daily briefings.

No mention.

"The reaction" mentioned in the OP was not specifically about Tsai's phone call.

Maybe on Monday we will hear the official reaction. But, if there is one government not to be emotional, that's China's government. This has become even starker as we now see how the present US government sees red anytime Russia or Putin is brought up.

 

[AndrewJin]

Taiwan’s President？I can't find this country in the UN.

I think，Trump won't let American soldiers die in Taiwan.

Republic of China, now has two provinces Taiwan and Fujian.

 

[C130]

Damn right we are cashing in but the Taiwan issue will be solved in the future one way or the other. The phone call is not important indeed, but the Western media makes it like China is pissed off.
The Sino-US relation is one of the most important relation on this planet, we collect plenty of dollars and own US debts plus we provide jobs to Americans as well. Both benefit each other, and should there be a war in the future the US won't wage war against China because US will have to suffer too and that's no peanuts.

money speaks.

 

[艹艹艹]

Republic of China, now has two provinces Taiwan and Fujian.

There is only one china（PRC）in the world, and Taiwan is an integral part of china.

 

[TaiShang]

Republic of China, now has two provinces Taiwan and Fujian.

We need more provinces to join so that tourism would recover.