Donald Trump’s historic call with Taiwan’s president likely to ire China

By Lobsang Tenchoe

DHARAMSALA, Dec 03: US President-elect Donald Trump creates history by holding a phone conversation with Taiwan’s President Tsai Ing-wen in a move likely to ire China.

Donald Trump did what no US president or president-elect has ever done in the past 37 years by holding a phone conversation with Taiwan’s President Tsai Ing-wen yesterday.

Image- The Telegraph
Image- The Telegraph

Donald Trump and Tsai Ing-wen spoke over 10 minutes over the phone call initiated by Taiwan’s President. Tsai congratulated Trump for his presidential election win and the duo held discussions on establishing closer cooperation between the two countries according to reports on various media outlets.

Beijing considers Taiwan as part of its own territory and the conversation between the two leaders were the first since diplomatic ties between Washington and Taipei were cut off in 1979 and it marks a departure from America’s decades-old China policy.

Following the historic call on Friday, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi blamed Taiwan for the exchange and called it a petty act.

“This is just the Taiwan side engaging in a petty action, and cannot change the one China structure already formed by the international community,” Hong Kong-based Phoenix TV reported Wang as saying at an academic forum.

Trump, who often targeted China during his election campaign defended his move and tweeted, “Interesting how the U.S. sells Taiwan billions of dollars of military equipment but I should not accept a congratulatory call.”