US president-elect Donald Trump on Friday received a congratulatory telephone call from President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文). The call had been anticipated — news of the planned call was first reported in the Taipei Times — and the confirmation came in the form of a self-congratulatory tweet from Trump: “The President of Taiwan CALLED ME today to wish me congratulations on winning the Presidency. Thank you!”
The issue is not that this was the first known contact between a Taiwanese leader and a US president or president-elect since 1979 — when the two nations ended official diplomatic relations — nor that Trump addressed Tsai by her official title — although this in itself is hugely significant — it is about the manner in which he announced what is a sensitive issue.
Even though China tried to play down its significance — Chinese Minister of Foreign Affairs Wang Yi (王毅) called it a “petty trick” — many major international media outlets have been calling it a major break from US policy on its relations with China.
News of the call, and its significance, was splayed across headlines of media outlets worldwide. The BBC had “Trump-Taiwan call breaks US policy stance”; French newspaper Le Monde had “Pourquoi la discussion de Trump avec la presidente de Taiwan risque de facher la Chine” (Why Trump’s talk with the president of Taiwan could upset China); the New York Times led with “In affront to China, Trump speaks with Taiwan leader”; and German newspaper Die Welt had “Trump telefoniert mit Taiwan und riskiert den Zorn Chinas” (Trump calls Taiwan and risks the anger of China).
The media’s reaction, or perhaps an aide, seems to have impressed the gravity of the situation on Trump in the immediate aftermath of his initial tweet, as he followed it up an hour later with: “Interesting how the U.S. sells Taiwan billions of dollars of military equipment but I should not accept a congratulatory call.”
Much has already been written on the historical significance of Trump’s willingness to take the call and refer to Tsai as “president,” and there will doubtless be much more ink devoted to the analysis of Beijing’s reaction and the repercussions for US-China and cross-strait relations in the coming days, months and even years.
Trump, who is soon to be the “leader of the free world,” chose to announce the call openly and with apparent flagrant disregard for, or a misconception of, the potential consequences.
Cross-strait relations have been particularly tense over the past six months, having seriously deteriorated since Tsai took office and her refusal to acknowledge the so-called “1992 consensus” and “one China” principle. Her softly-softly approach has led to calls from some — including former president Lee Teng-hui (李登輝) — to take a tougher stance with Beijing on Taiwan’s status.
This is a potentially perilous time in what was already a dangerous situation. The US has consistently been very cautious on its dealings with Taiwan, including weapons sales. The last thing Taiwanese need is for a bull in a China shop to wreak havoc. This is not about trade issues, this is potentially war and copious loss of life.
So does this signal a change in US policy?
Trump defies predictions; so many have been proven wrong. It would be safer to say that this affair says more about his individualistic approach to governance. He simply accepted a call from the president of another nation calling him to say “well done.” This is not about a national policy stance change.
Recently, China launched another diplomatic offensive against Taiwan, improperly linking its “one China principle” with UN General Assembly Resolution 2758 to constrain Taiwan’s diplomatic space. After Taiwan’s presidential election on Jan. 13, China persuaded Nauru to sever diplomatic ties with Taiwan. Nauru cited Resolution 2758 in its declaration of the diplomatic break. Subsequently, during the WHO Executive Board meeting that month, Beijing rallied countries including Venezuela, Zimbabwe, Belarus, Egypt, Nicaragua, Sri Lanka, Laos, Russia, Syria and Pakistan to reiterate the “one China principle” in their statements, and assert that “Resolution 2758 has settled the status of Taiwan” to hinder Taiwan’s
Singaporean Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong’s (李顯龍) decision to step down after 19 years and hand power to his deputy, Lawrence Wong (黃循財), on May 15 was expected — though, perhaps, not so soon. Most political analysts had been eyeing an end-of-year handover, to ensure more time for Wong to study and shadow the role, ahead of general elections that must be called by November next year. Wong — who is currently both deputy prime minister and minister of finance — would need a combination of fresh ideas, wisdom and experience as he writes the nation’s next chapter. The world that
The past few months have seen tremendous strides in India’s journey to develop a vibrant semiconductor and electronics ecosystem. The nation’s established prowess in information technology (IT) has earned it much-needed revenue and prestige across the globe. Now, through the convergence of engineering talent, supportive government policies, an expanding market and technologically adaptive entrepreneurship, India is striving to become part of global electronics and semiconductor supply chains. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Vision of “Make in India” and “Design in India” has been the guiding force behind the government’s incentive schemes that span skilling, design, fabrication, assembly, testing and packaging, and
Can US dialogue and cooperation with the communist dictatorship in Beijing help avert a Taiwan Strait crisis? Or is US President Joe Biden playing into Chinese President Xi Jinping’s (習近平) hands? With America preoccupied with the wars in Europe and the Middle East, Biden is seeking better relations with Xi’s regime. The goal is to responsibly manage US-China competition and prevent unintended conflict, thereby hoping to create greater space for the two countries to work together in areas where their interests align. The existing wars have already stretched US military resources thin, and the last thing Biden wants is yet another war.