Trump’s 'inexperience' led him to accept call from Taiwan leader, Chinese media say

BEIJING, Sunday

Chinese state media said today that US President-elect Donald Trump’s “inexperience” led him to accept a phone call from Taiwan’s leader Tsai Ing-wen but warned that any breach of the One China policy would “destroy” Sino-US relations.

The call “exposed nothing but (Trump’s) and his transition team’s inexperience in dealing with foreign affairs”, said an editorial in the English-language China Daily newspaper, adding there was “no need to over-interpret” it.

But it hinted at the possible economic impact of any breakdown in ties, saying that China held $1.19 trillion in US treasury bonds and had bilateral trade worth $558 billion with the country last year. “If Trump wants to overstep the One China principle, he will destroy Sino-US ties,” it said. Mr Trump’s call with Tsai Ing-wen Friday broke with decades of US foreign policy precedent, raising questions on whether it marked a deliberate pivot away from Washington’s official “One China” stance. 

Washington cut formal diplomatic relations with the island in 1979 and recognises Beijing as the sole government of “One China” – while keeping friendly, non-official ties with Taipei.

China regards self-ruling Taiwan as part of its own territory awaiting reunification under Beijing’s rule, and any US move that would imply support for independence would likely trigger fury. Mr Trump congratulated Ms Tsai on her election as president this year and discussed the “close economic, political and security ties” of the US and Taiwan, according to the president-elect’s office.

The often nationalistic Global Times newspaper in an editorial Saturday threatened that Ms Tsai would “pay the price” if Taiwan “crosses the red line”, and said China would “use its power without hesitation” to punish any move toward independence.

Meanwhile, Beijing has lodged a protest with the United States over call. “We have already made solemn representations about it to the relevant US side. It must be pointed out that there is only one China in the world. Taiwan is an inalienable part of China’s territory,” the statement said.

“We urge the relevant parties in the US to abide by the commitment to the one-China policy” and “to handle Taiwan-related issues with caution and care to avoid unnecessarily interfering with the overall situation of Sino-US relations,” it said.