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Why Trump's call could really rock the boat
5 things you need to know about why Trump's chat with Tsai could really rock the boat
Trump risks antagonizing China after call with Taiwan 03:30
Beijing (CNN)President-elect Donald Trump had a 10-minute phone conversation with Taiwan's president Tsai Ing-wen on Friday.
It's
not unusual for the incoming leader of one government to have a chat
with the sitting leader of another, if only to exchange pleasantries,
but Trump's call with Tsai is causing a huge diplomatic storm.
A
lot of speculation is swirling around about what it means for the
future of U.S. relations with China and Beijing's relations with Taipei.
Here's why:
1. Who's the boss?
China
and Taiwan both agree there is only one nation of China. But the jury
is still out on who the legitimate ruler actually is. It has been this
way since 1949 after the communists won the civil war and forced the
nationalists, who previously ruled, to flee the mainland to the island
of Taiwan. The communists set up a new government with the capital in
Beijing, officially proclaiming the birth of the People's Republic of
China (PRC). The nationalists set up their own government in Taiwan
still officially known as the Republic of China (ROC). In practice, the
PRC governs most of the Chinese territory and the ROC governs Taiwan and
a few smaller islands near it. Most countries recognize the PRC as the
legal ruler of all of China.
2. Renegade province
Despite
having separate governments, China claims Taiwan is a renegade
province. Taiwan runs itself like a country, having its own ministries
and national and foreign policies separate from China. It even has
formal diplomatic ties with 21 countries that officially recognize the
ROC. But the ROC does not have nation status at the United Nations and
most other international bodies.
3. One-China Policy
U.S.
relations with China and Taiwan are governed by a set of protocols
known as the One China Policy. In 1979, the US acknowledged the PRC's
claim that there is one China and that Taiwan is part of China, when
Washington severed ties with Taipei to recognize Beijing . The U.S.
maintains unofficial ties with Taiwan and posted "unofficial"
representatives to Taipei. Until now, there have been no formal visits
or official conversations between a U.S. president or president-elect
and Taiwan's leaders. When Trump took Tsai's call, he broke this
sensitive protocol.
4. The political elephant in the room
The
threat of a military conflict between China and Taiwan remains
constant, for decades there were no communications, travel or trade
between the two countries. Tensions began to ease in the 1990s when
Beijing and Taipei reached an agreement to allow deliberate ambiguity on
questions of sovereignty. This paved the way for economic and cultural
cooperation. Since then, Taiwanese businesses have invested billions
into the mainland and millions of Chinese tourists have visited Taiwan
since the resumption of direct flights.
5. China views Tsai's party warily
China
fears, rightly or wrongly, that Tsai Ing-wen's Democratic Progress
Party, is committed to declaring formal independence for Taiwan. The "I"
word is something that China will never accept. Beijing insists Taiwan
must be reunited with the mainland -- by force if necessary. Although
Tsai has said she wants to preserve the status quo and not make any
moves towards formal independence, her initiating a call to Trump, which
the President-elect agreed to take could rub Beijing the wrong way.
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