President-elect Donald Trump is already making good on his promise to challenge China and its ‘unfair trade policies’.
Yesterday he announced a phone call with the president of Taiwan, which has not been done since before Reagan.
Here’s more from Newsmax:
America’s relationship with China could potentially be in jeopardy after President-elect Donald Trump spoke with Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen by phone Friday. It marked the first time a U.S. president or incoming president has spoken with the leader of the island nation since the 1970s, when formal diplomatic ties between the countries were severed.
The Financial Times initially reported about the phone call between the two leaders.
The U.S. cut formal diplomatic ties with Taiwan when it shifted diplomatic recognition of China to the communist government on the mainland, but the two countries have maintained unofficial diplomatic relations since 1979 — the same year the U.S. embassy in Taiwan closed.
“President-elect Trump spoke with President Tsai Ing-wen of Taiwan, who offered her congratulations,” according to a readout of the call from Trump’s transition team obtained by Newsmax.
“During the discussion, they noted the close economic, political, and security ties exists between Taiwan and the United States. President-elect Trump also congratulated President Tsai on becoming President of Taiwan earlier this year.”
Evan Medeiros, the former Asia director at the White House national security council, told the Times Friday’s phone call could be seen as “highly provocative” in China’s view.
“The Chinese leadership will see this as a highly provocative action, of historic proportions,” Medeiros said.
“Regardless if it was deliberate or accidental, this phone call will fundamentally change China’s perceptions of Trump’s strategic intentions for the negative. With this kind of move, Trump is setting a foundation of enduring mistrust and strategic competition for U.S.-China relations.”
