Beijing giving Trump ‘room to push boundaries’ but draws line at support for Taiwanese independence, say experts

US president-elect Donald Trump’s phone conversation with Taiwanese leader Tsai Ing-wen may not signal a major shift in the US’ longstanding one-China policy, but Beijing is “cautiously watching” Trump’s next moves while pondering its own, say experts on US-China relations.

Bonnie Glaser, a senior adviser for Asia at the Washington-based Centre for Strategic and International Studies, said she did not believe that Trump intended to indicate he would change the foreign policy approach to the Taiwan Strait.

Watch: China labels Trump call “petty action” by Taiwan

“I expect China will engage intensely with Trump’s transition team about Taiwan, both to determine Trump’s intentions in making the call and to warn of the consequences should he follow up with similar actions,” Glaser said.

William Stanton, a former director of the American Institute in Taiwan, Washington’s de factor embassy on the self-ruled island, was quoted by Central News Agency on Monday as saying the call was probably arranged ahead of time and Washington should have made such a move earlier.

Daniel Blumenthal, a China specialist at the American Enterprise Institute, said China was “prepared for the US to return to advocating on behalf of our own interests”.

“[China] advances its own version of the one-China policy, very different from our own, every day through missile and cyber coercion and diplomatic isolation. Those moves are not in our interests,” Blumenthal said.