Donald Trump stance on ‘one-China’ breaks from long-standing policies

World Today

U.S. President-elect Donald Trump speaks during his meeting with President Barack Obama in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington. (AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais, File)
Published December 12, 2016 at 11:01 AM
Updated December 12, 2016 at 4:53 PM

President-elect Donald Trump said he does not feel “bound by a one-China policy,” a statement that China said it has “serious concern” over.

During an interview with Fox News Sunday morning, Trump said that he wouldn’t feel “bound by a one-China policy unless we make a deal with China having to do with other things, including trade.”

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said he has seen the comments, adding “we urge the new US administration and leadership to be fully aware of the high sensitivity of the Taiwan question, stick to the one China policy and the principles of the three joint communiqués, and approach Taiwan-related issues with prudence so as to avoid any serious disruption and harm to the overall interests of the China-US relationship.”

The comments from the president-elect follow a phone conversation he had with Taiwan leader Tsai Ing-wen earlier in the month. The call was the first time an American president or president-elect has publicly spoken to a Taiwanese leader in nearly four decades.

“Why should some other nation be able to say I can’t take a call?” Trump said shortly after knowledge of the call was released. “I think it actually would’ve been very disrespectful, to be honest with you, not taking it.”

The White House stuck a different tune when discussing the issue. Speaking to reporters days after the Trump call, White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest said “the assurances that we could offer the Chinese government were the ongoing commitment of the U.S. government to the pursuit of a one-China policy.”

Elements of this story were reported by The Associated Press.

Nong Hong on one-China policy

For more on China-U.S. relations and one-China policy,CCTV America’s spoke to Nong Hong, Executive Director & Senior Fellow, Institute for China-America Studies, USA.