Donald Trump: ‘One China’ Continuation Dependent On Trade Concessions
https://rumble.com/embed/venh1/
The BBC is reporting on a statement made by U.S. President-elect Donald Trump today, that unless Beijing is willing to make trade concessions he is unwilling to honor the existing ‘one China’ policy.
On December 2, the Inquisitr reported on a telephone conversation between Trump and Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen, which was described as a “provocation” to China, creating the possibility of “significant” ramifications.
In a tweet, the president-elect noted what he saw as an “interesting” incongruity: a backlash against his conversation with the president of Taiwan in the face of the fact that the United States sells the country “billion of dollars of military equipment.”
The United States has legislated The Taiwan Relations Act, which provides Taiwan with a supply of weapons designed to dissuade any potential attack from the mainland. The act states that any act of war on the part of China against Taiwan would be seen as being of “grave concern” to U.S. interests.
“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 was quoted by Channel NewsAsia.
The Trump-“one China” policy comments were made during a Fox News interview, which is said to be set to air later today. Also in the interview, the president-elect was said to pan reports by the CIA that “Russian hackers tried to sway the election.” He went on to associate the reports with the Democratic Party and label them as “ridiculous.”
Donald Trump’s conversation with the Taiwanese president marked the first time a U.S. leader has formally spoken with a Taiwan leader in almost 40 years.
The “one China” policy, a product of the People’s Republic of China, the country other nations generally refer to as “China,” states that there is only one China and it includes the Republic of China, which is generally referred to as “Taiwan.”
The Boston Globe has described the position of the United States, up until now, as going along “with China’s demand that Taiwan be marginalized and embarrassed in the international arena” and labeled it as “shameful.” U.S. recognition of the “one China” policy is reported to date to 1979, as reported by the BBC.
As a result of this “one China” policy, nations around the world have become divided into three groups: those who recognize the People’s Republic of China only, those who recognize the Republic of China only, and those who recognize the People’s Republic of China, but maintain informal relations with the Republic of China.
China and Taiwan first split in 1949. That year, officials with the Republic of China fled the Asian mainland and regrouped in Taiwan. Until 1971, most countries, and the United Nations, recognized Taiwan as leading the rest of China; that year, the U.N. flipped its recognition to Beijing, which continues to enjoy its diplomatic status.
Despite the fact that the United States does not formally recognize the Government of the Republic of China, it is described as “by far, Taiwan’s most important friend, and its only ally.”
Also in the Fox News interview, President-elect Trump is reported to explain that he was given only a “couple of hours” notice that the call from Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen was going to happen.
President-elect Trump was said to be “critical” of Beijing’s handling of the situation in the South China Sea, currency intervention, and relations with North Korea.
In contrast with observations that Donald Trump’s telephone conversation with Tsai was a “provocation” to China, the president-elect stated that not taking the call from the Taiwanese president could also have caused offense.
“I think it actually would’ve been very disrespectful, to be honest with you, not taking it,” President-elect Trump was quoted.
[Featured Image by Drew Angerer/Getty Images]
