Skeptic Ginger
Nasty Woman
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Trump's Taiwan Call
- Thread starter Fudbucker
- Start date
thaiboxerken
Penultimate Amazing
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It's by design.
Dribble Error
New Blood
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http: // www bbc com/news/world-asia-china-38286645
Trump is now claiming the US's continued following of the "One China" policy depends on concessions made to trade by the PRC. It's clear now that he's just using Taiwan as a bargaining chip and this is all just to back up his anti-China rhetoric. This is probably going to kill any chance of cooperation between the current DDP administration and the PRC, and is an extermely risky game for the 25 million people of Taiwan if it keeps escalating. (link broken for post count)
Trump is now claiming the US's continued following of the "One China" policy depends on concessions made to trade by the PRC. It's clear now that he's just using Taiwan as a bargaining chip and this is all just to back up his anti-China rhetoric. This is probably going to kill any chance of cooperation between the current DDP administration and the PRC, and is an extermely risky game for the 25 million people of Taiwan if it keeps escalating. (link broken for post count)
The guy is a lunatic. In my opinion the original One-China policy was a mistake. It just perpetuated the problem. The US Government should have said that they would be willing to support Taiwan fully, provided that relinquish their claims of sovereignty over Mainland China. The only reason the Chinese Government are pissed about the situation is about that. They know that they can out-perform Taiwan economically, so there really isn't a competition between them except for the sovereignty issue.
The policy has gone on for so long, it has become ingrained. That means that twisting the situation now is not going to help in resolving it in the long run. if he really upsets the Chinese government, then the knock-on is that they will be more supportive to the mad men in North Korea.
Hlafordlaes
Disorder of Kilopi
Exactly. Taiwanese interests are going to pay for Trump's posturing. And he has probably drastically accelerated naval and coastal defense spending by China to make the Taiwan Strait all the more amenable to encroachment.
The central position of the Strait in US-Chinese relations is described historically here (brief), and more recent events here (also a short read). It is symbolic and emblematic of the projection of US force abroad in Asia, yet already something the US has learned not to push too hard. What Trumpettes in their refreshing naivete need learn is that if there is a repeat in starker terms of the events mentioned in the quote below, the US may just inadvertently communicate to East Asia, the region containing the most dangerous flash points on the planet, that the US is no longer able to meet its security commitments. Or start a war all will regret.
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I doubt there ever was a realistic alternative to the One China policy.
Remember that the PRC and the US were basically facing off in a shooting war in Korea. That was just after the US declared its willingness to militarily support the ROC. It was just after the cold war had begun and the US had decided to oppose communism militarily wherever.
That willingness to fight was, no doubt, a result of the disastrous consequences of no one being willing to stand up to Hitler over the small stuff. The domino theory has received much harsh and justified criticism but I think without it, the whole region would now be under Chinese domination.
Even if the US had pressured the ROC to relinquish its claim right around 1950 would the PRC really have agreed to an independent Taiwan that was a US military outpost?
Also, I doubt that Taiwan at the time would have been easily persuaded of true independence. Taiwan, at the time, was dominated by the former mainland elite (including armed forces). AFAIU the genuine independence movement is carried mainly by ethnic Taiwanese who had little say in the early decades.
a_unique_person
Director of Hatcheries and Conditioning
IMHO. Trump doesn't really care much about Taiwan. He just sees threatening to recognise Taiwan as some leverage when he wants to make some deals with China.
quadraginta
Becoming Beth
I don't think so either.
I also don't think it's particularly relevant whether he does or not.
If he is using the sovereignty status of Taiwan (a particularly sore and provocative issue for China) as a bargaining chip for trade agreements then he is playing with fire ... almost literally.
Taiwan's sovereignty status isn't important to trade agreements between us and China. It is nothing but poking a stick in their eye.
If this is the sort of deal-making expertise he is going to exhibit as president then we may be in for a very rough ride.
And since he doesn't really care about them, what good can it do to use them as a bargaining chip? It isn't like he's going to stand by their side and defend them if the **** hits the fan. He'll turn his back on them just like he does with every deal he loses.
Only by then it might be too late.
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Spindrift
Time Person of the Year, 2006
It shows how little he understands China. China is not a western country and it may come as a surprise to Trump when they don't react the way he thinks they should. For instance they could retaliate by loosening their grip on North Korea and let the USA deal with it.
ponderingturtle
Orthogonal Vector
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What does he care if Taiwan gets burned though? They make a useful tool, and if the tool gets broken at least it did its job.
sunmaster14
Penultimate Amazing
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LOL. It seems the New York Times is now delivering syndicated propaganda directly from the Xinhua News Agency. I guess it saves money compared to hiring its own correspondents.
Craig4
Penultimate Amazing
Or to put it another way, China just made Trump their bitch.
The Great Zaganza
Maledictorian
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Yep, classical Art of the Deal: first, get your opposite site really angry, then back down.
Parsman
Muse
It is clear you are a very partisan courtier, but even you must be beginning to suspect that the Emperor has no clothes, or at best a tiny posing pouch to go with his tiny hands?
The mere fact that he brought the issue up shows how incompetent Trump is. States are basically given a choice on whether they have formal diplomatic relations with the PRC (China) or the ROC (Taiwan). If they recognize the ROC the PRC won't establish formal relations.
Trump must have been delusional or seriously misinformed if he thought he could somehow use the "one china principle" as some-kind of bargaining chip.
Trump must have been delusional or seriously misinformed if he thought he could somehow use the "one china principle" as some-kind of bargaining chip.
Anything can be used as a bargaining chip. If Trump recognized Taiwan, you think China would break all ties with us? A lot of what we get from China are non-essential consumerist goods, processed foods/snack foods, furniture, clothing, etc. A lot of what China imports from us are essential goods and staples: corn, soybeans, aircraft, industrial machinery, etc. I think Trump could call China's bluff on Taiwan.
Well, it could be serious. JFK gave the soviets an impression of weakness early in his presidency, leading them to try and push their luck and giving us the Cuban missile crisis. Hopefully Trump doesn't make a similar mistake early in his presidency. I'd hate to see trump negotiating a cuban-esque stand off.
Skeptic Ginger
Nasty Woman
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Or more likely, make a stupid ignorant mistake because you were unaware of the One China politic and the new leader of Taiwan took advantage of that ignorance and whoops, pretend you never meant anything by the Taiwan call.