Trump’s Taiwan phone call planned ‘weeks ahead’ — report
Conversation is part of a ‘new strategy’ to deal with China, report says, as president-elect goes on tirade against Beijing
Sue Surkes is The Times of Israel's environment reporter
President-elect Donald Trump’s controversial telephone conversation with the president of Taiwan was “planned weeks ahead” by staffers and Taiwan experts, despite earlier claims within his team that it was no more than a “courtesy” call.
According to a a report Monday in The Washington Post, the call reflected “months of quiet preparations” among advisers about “a new strategy for engagement with Taiwan,” with which the US severed diplomatic relations in 1979 in favor of a more robust relationship with China. Meanwhile, US-Taiwan trade relations have continued.
The call also reflects the views of hardliners in Trump’s immediate circle who want a tougher line taken with China, the report said. Incoming chief of staff Reince Priebus is just one of several members of Trump’s transition team seen as hawkish on China and friendly toward Taiwan.
Trump staffers made a list of foreign leaders with whom to arrange calls right after the US elections, Stephen Yates, a national security official under George W. Bush and an expert on China and Taiwan, said. “Very early on, Taiwan was on that list,” he added.
“Once the call was scheduled, I was told that there was a briefing for President-elect Trump. They knew that there would be reaction and potential blow back,” he said.
The report appeared to fly in the face of attempts to play down the call, as reflected in comments by Vice President-elect Mike Pence to ABC’s “This Week” on Sunday.
“He took the call [ from Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen], accepted her congratulations and good wishes and it was precisely that,” he said, calling it a “courtesy” call.
Trump’s campaign manager Kellyanne Conway was quoted by the Reuters news agency saying, “All he did was receive a phone call. I think everybody should just calm down. He’s aware of what our nation’s policy is.”
But rather than downplaying the significance of the call, Trump on Monday tweeted harsh criticism of China.
“Did China ask us if it was OK to devalue their currency (making it hard for our companies to compete), heavily tax our products going into their country (the US doesn’t tax them) or to build a massive military complex in the middle of the South China Sea?” he asked. “I don’t think so!”
China charges an average 15.6 percent tariff on US agricultural imports and nine percent on other goods, according to the World Trade Organization.
Chinese farm products pay 4.4% and other goods 3.6% when coming into the United States.
China regards self-ruling Taiwan as part of its own territory awaiting reunification, and any US move implying support for independence would gravely offend Beijing.
The phone call with the Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen drew an irritated response from China, whose foreign minister called the contact a “small trick by Taiwan” and noted that “healthy” US-China relations hinge upon the so-called “one-China” policy.
The Times of Israel Community.