Trump's Taiwan call jolts ties with China

China lodged a complaint with the US after President-elect Donald Trump flouted almost four decades of diplomatic protocol by directly speaking with the leader of Taiwan, which Beijing considers a rogue province. 

The “solemn representation” on Saturday urged US authorities to adhere to the so-called one-China principle and “prudently” handle issues related to the self-governed island. Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said that Trump’s Friday telephone call with Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen was a “little trick pulled off by Taiwan,” saying “we don’t want to see this political foundation disturbed and damaged.”

The response suggested China’s desire to keep the incident from escalating into a full-blown crisis before Trump entered the White House or even appointed a full foreign policy team. Statements from Trump’s transition team and his subsequent tweets left unclear whether the call presaged a shift in longstanding US policy against recognising Taiwan’s sovereignty or allowing direct communication between top leaders.

“This could be potentially explosive, but now is not the right time for Beijing to make the formal call on Trump’s Taiwan policy because he’s yet to take office,” said Wang Fan, director of China Foreign Affairs University’s Institute of International Relations. “He’s still learning and doing his home work. China’s measured response would give him some time to do a crash course on the history of Sino-US relations.”

The US broke diplomatic ties with Taiwan and officially recognised the Communist government in Beijing in 1979. Still, it has maintained a close relationship with the democratically run island — often to China’s anger — and is legally required to provide military support and protection.