China “seriously concerned” following Trump’s threat to the Taiwan policy

After President-elect Donald Trump told Fox News that he saw no reason why the US should continue the “One China” policy, the Chinese government have warned Trump of their “serious concern” towards his views.

The “One China”, where Taiwan is officially regarded as part of the same single Chinese nation as the mainland, is one that has been central to the US-China relations for the past four decades.

“I don’t know why we have to be bound by a ‘One China’ policy unless we make a deal with China having to do with other things, including trade,” Trump told Fox News on Sunday.

“China has noted the report and expresses serious concern about it. I want to stress that the Taiwan issue concerns China’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, and involves China’s core interests. Upholding the ‘One China’ principle is the political basis for developing China-US ties. If this basis is interfered with, or damaged, then the healthy development of China-US relations and bilateral

“Upholding the ‘One China’ principle is the political basis for developing China-US ties. If this basis is interfered with, or damaged, then the healthy development of China-US relations and bilateral co-operation in important areas is out of the question.” said Geng Shuang, a spokesman for China’s foreign ministry.

Trump’s threats to the “One China” policy have taken China by concern, unsure what sort of bargain they might have to enter into.

“The signal Trump is sending to China is: ‘You are not going to push us around; you are not going to dictate terms; we are going to be the ones who dictate terms to you’. And he’s also signalling, whether deliberately or not, that there are no sacred cows in US foreign policy, whether in Asia or anywhere else.” said Nick Bisley, an international relations expert from La Trobe University in Melbourne.

“I think they will be genuinely befuddled and just thinking: ‘How do we deal with this guy? What’s the playbook?’ The overall consequence of all of this is that it’s going to make the region a lot more uncertain and the temperature is going to be a lot higher.”

 

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