Donald Trump tweeting about US-Chinese relationship

World Today

U.S. President-elect Donald Trump speaks during a “USA Thank You” tour event in Cincinnati. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci, File)

President-elect Donald Trump and his team are defending the engagement with the leader of Taiwan, adding his feelings about U.S.-Chinese relations, while the White House worked to counter Trump’s words.

CCTV’s Daniel Ryntjes reports.
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“Did China ask us if it was OK to carry out a number of actions such as build up disputed islands in the South China Sea or take economic measures hurtful to the United States,” Trump tweeted on Sunday.

“I can confirm that U.S. officials including senior officials at the National Security Council have been in touch with their Chinese counterparts to reiterate our country’s continued commitment to a one-China policy,” White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest said during the Monday White House briefing. “This is a policy that is based on three joint U.S.-China communiques that were negotiated by different U.S. presidents and different parties and, of course, by the Taiwan Relations Act. This is a policy that’s been in place for nearly 40 years and it has been focused on promoting and preserving peace and stability in the Strait,” Earnest said.

The comments were in reaction to the Taiwan leader, Tsai Ing-Wen, calling Trump Friday to congratulate him on the election. The call spurred reaction from China.

“Taiwan-related issues remain the most significant and sensitive part in China-US relations,” Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Lu Kang said during a press briefing on Monday. “China-US relations have been moving forward for nearly 40 years since the establishment of diplomatic ties. The one-China policy and the basic principles embodied in the three joint communiqués between China and the US remain a solid political premise of the sound and steady development of bilateral relations and mutually beneficial cooperation,” Kang added.

“China-US relations and mutually beneficial cooperation will embark on a brighter future only if the two countries hold fast to this political premise,” the ministry spokesman said.

“The adherence to and commitment to this policy has advanced the ability of the United States to make progress in our relationship with China and of course has benefited the people of Taiwan. Taiwan, after all, is the ninth largest trading partner of the United States and they certainly benefit from peace and stability in the Strait and pursuit to — pursuit of and commitment to that peace and stability that advances U.S. interests. If the president-elect’s team has a different aim, I’ll leave it to them to describe,” the White House spokesman said Monday.

Vice President-elect Mike Pence said Sunday that the phone call shouldn’t necessarily be interpreted as a shift in U.S. policy. “It was a courtesy call,” Pence told NBC’s “Meet the Press.”


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