White House questions wisdom of Trump call with Taiwan

Trump’s unusual call with Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen on Friday prompted a diplomatic protest on Saturday, though U.S. Vice President-elect Mike Pence played down the telephone conversation, saying it was a “courtesy” call, not meant to show a shift in U.S. policy on China. “We all see the value of stability in the region”.

The phone conversation last Friday between Tsai and Trump broke a more than 4-decade-old precedent barring such direct communication, and set off a firestorm of controversy in Washington over Trump’s apparent indifference to diplomatic protocol.

On Friday, he slammed the same country he soon will be leading: “Interesting how the US sells Taiwan billions of dollars of military equipment but I should not accept a congratulatory call”. According to figures from Taiwan’s government, California’s exports to Taiwan reached $7.8 Billion in 2015 and is the state’s fifth largest market in Asia. The president-elect even referred to Tsai as “president”, a grave transgression from Beijing’s point of view.

Officially, Beijing’s response to Trump’s action has been muted.

The subject of Taiwan, which effectively split from the mainland in 1949 following China’s civil war, is an incredibly touchy subject for Chinese.

Says Chiu, “It is still an ongoing event”.

The U.S. commitment to Taiwan also permits the sale of defensive weapons, and just a year ago the U.S. sold Taiwan $1.83 billion worth of them, most of which Taipei uses to defend itself from a potential provocations from Beijing.

China’s foreign ministry lodged a complaint with the Obama administration following the call as the U.S., since 1979, has acknowledged Beijing’s claim that Taiwan is part of China (Taiwan doesn’t), which means that there are no formal diplomatic relations between the United States and Taiwan.

Trump criticized Beijing over its monetary policy and territorial ambitions in disputed Asia waters.

“That expertise is available to the President-elect”, Earnest said, noting that President Barack Obama has benefited from that advice during his tenure. Diplomats and experts believed the Trump-Tsai conversation could lead to a major rift with China and strain cross-strait relations. Trump said on Twitter.

Another wrote: “The only way for the White House to have one day in peace is to cancel Donald Trump’s twitter account”.

Trump, however, raised eyebrows again on Sunday when he lashed out at China directly in two Twitter postings, accusing Beijing of manipulating currency, unfairly taxing USA products and taking military control of the South China Sea. All the claims to hard-nosed Machiavellian posturing emerged well after Trump’s defensive insistence that he was just fielding a congratulatory phone call from somebody or other.

“He got a call, he took it, and again, he’s getting calls from everyone, so I think probably a lot more is being read into it than is the case, really”, Corker said.

Pence called the uproar over the call with “democratically elected” Tsai a “tempest in a teapot”. In her first comments on the call, Tsai sought to dampen those fears. Taiwan expects a 60% drop in tourism this year. “We hope America abides by the principle of the One China policy and the three US-PRC Joint Communiques and does not allow her transit”. President Jimmy Carter recognized the government in Beijing as legitimate in 1978.

He also opposes the Trans Pacific Partnership, which effectively leaves the future trade relationship with China undecided.