White House pushes back on Trump’s Taiwan move

Gingrich said the “old, timid State Department” would have advised against taking the call from Taiwan’s president, adding, “We elected him not to listen to the current State Department”.

Kao-cheng Wang, dean of Tamkang University’s college of worldwide studies, said he believes Trump might increase American military exports to Taiwan, over Beijing’s vociferous opposition, and try to strengthen economic ties between the two sides. I’m no expert on China, but I think there’s a good case for answering both questions in the affirmative.

China still considers Taiwan to be part of the communist country, even though the Taiwanese people consider themselves separate. Others have welcomed the prospect of better ties with Taiwan – a boisterous, multi-party democracy that stands in sharp contrast to China, a one-party state whose rulers are tightening their grip on dissent.

Addressing the criticism around the phone call, he later wrote: “Interesting how the US sells Taiwan billions of dollars of military equipment but I should not accept a congratulatory call”.

She said Trump was routinely briefed on worldwide intelligence reports and was not signaling plans to change U.S. foreign policy.

Former British Labour Party leader Ed Miliband commented: “Trump railing against China on Twitter like it is a Celebrity Apprentice feud is not amusing, but deeply, deeply worrying for the world”.

The GOP’s position, however, remains that the laws that now govern both China and Taiwan should be upheld.

China’s national English-language newspaper, the China Daily, said the 10-minute call “exposed nothing but the inexperience Trump and his transition team have in dealing with foreign affairs”.

The call with Taipei was the first by a United States president-elect or president with a Taiwan leader since President Jimmy Carter switched diplomatic recognition to China from Taiwan in 1979, acknowledging Taiwan as part of “one China”.

According to CBS News, Trump is incorrect in saying the U.S. doesn’t tax Chinese imports, though China’s tariffs on United States products are higher.

By late afternoon, the comments still had not been reported by Xinhua news agency.

Shi Yinhong, a professor of global relations at People’s University in Beijing, predicted China would not lash out immediately, but calibrate its response over the next several months after Trump enters the White House.

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi called the phone call “a shenanigan by the Taiwan side”.

Kissinger, who met with Trump last month, said it suggested Beijing may be looking to develop a “calm dialogue” with the new USA administration. But the governments in Washington and Taipei have maintained close unofficial ties and deep economic and defense relations.