Beijing – China lodged complaints with US officials on Saturday against Donald Trump’s phone call with Taiwan’s president, in a dispute that threatens to open a diplomatic rift between Beijing and Washington.
“We have taken note of the relevant reports and have made solemn representations to the relevant US authorities,” Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said in a statement posted on the ministry’s website.
President-elect Trump’s conversation with President Tsai Ing-wen was a break with US policy toward Taiwan, which Washington suspended formal diplomatic relations with in 1979 when it established its One-China policy.
China considers the island a renegade region and vigorously opposes any official contacts with the Taipei-based government. US media said that Trump’s call was the first time a president or president-elect had spoken directly with a Taiwanese leader in 30 years.
Although Beijing complained about Friday’s telephone call – in which Tsai congratulated Trump on his presidential victory – the Chinese leadership appeared to be trying to downplay the spat.
The Foreign Ministry spokesman urged Washington “to cautiously and carefully handle the Taiwan issue to avoid unnecessarily disrupting the overall situation of Sino-US relations.”
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi (pic) was quoted as minimizing the telephone call as a “small movement by the Taiwan side.”
“I believe it won’t change the One-China policy the US government has supported for many years,” Wang added, referring to the policy of recognizing Beijing as the sole Chinese government.
As the furor over the telephone call grew, Trump took to Twitter late Friday to say the conversation had been initiated by Tsai: “The president of Taiwan CALLED ME today to wish me congratulations on winning the Presidency. Thank you!”
According to the Taipei Times newspaper, however, Trump reportedly agreed to the call, which was arranged by what they termed his “Taiwan-friendly campaign staff,” after his aides briefed him on issues regarding Taiwan and the situation in the Taiwan Strait.
A press release from Taiwan’s presidential office said that Tsai expressed hope that her country and the US would continue to build a closer cooperative relationship.
Trump’s transition team refused to say what issues the two talked about and whether China was mentioned.
In a later tweet, Trump wrote: “Interesting how the US sells Taiwan billions of dollars of military equipment but I should not accept a congratulatory call.”
During the US election campaign, Trump advisors called for US arms sales to Taiwan to counterbalance Beijing’s growing military power, though the new president’s policies toward Taiwan on taking office next month are not clear.
Under the administration of US President Barack Obama, Washington has sold arms worth 12 billion dollars to Taiwan. The most recent arms package sold to Taipei in 2015 was worth 1.83 billion dollars.
Washington says this is in line with its One-China policy, the US State Department said. Under the 1979 Taiwan Relations Act, the US assures “Taiwan’s ability to maintain a sufficient self-defence capability.”
Following a civil war, Communist China has claimed sovereignty over self-ruled Taiwan since 1949 and there are no formal cross-strait diplomatic relations.
Trump has spoken with numerous world leaders since his shock election win, including Chinese President Xi Jinping.
– dpa
