‘Donald Trump is ignorant and one-China negotiations won’t happen’, state media says
Editorial in state-run newspaper hits back at US-president elect after he questions whether Washington should be bound by one-China policy
China’s state-run Global Times went on the offensive on Monday after Donald Trump’s remarks questioning whether the US should continue its one-China policy.
In an editorial published on Monday, the Global Times, slammed the US president-elect for being “as ignorant as a child in terms of foreign policy” as it ruled out negotiation over the one-China policy.
Beijing would have no reason to “put peace above using force to take back Taiwan” if Trump abandoned the policy, which recognises Taiwan as part of China, stated the editorial in the state-run newspaper published by the People’s Daily.
Trump had on Sunday questioned during an interview on US news programme Fox News Sunday whether Washington should continue with the policy if Beijing did not make concessions on trade and other issues.
“I don’t know why we have to be bound by a one-China policy unless we make a deal with China having to do with other things, including trade,” Trump said on the programme in response to a question on his taking a phone call from Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen.
Watch: Donald Trump discuss Beijing, Taiwan and the one-China policy on Fox News Sunday
In Global Times, the editorial stated: “The one-China policy is not something that can be negotiated. It seems Trump knows only about business. He thinks he can put a price on everything.
“At that time [after Trump abandons the one-China policy] ... mainland China will put forward a series of decisive new Taiwan policies. We will prove that the United States no longer dominates the Taiwan Strait.”
The one-China policy recognises that Taiwan is part of China, but Washington has remained ambiguous on the issue.
Trump said during the Fox News Sunday interview that China was also not cooperating with the US over its handling of the yuan, on matters involving North Korea as well as in the South China Sea.
The Global Times editorial said Trump would be wrong if he thought the one-China policy could be used as leverage to force Beijing into make concessions on trade and other issues.
“It seems Trump needs to study foreign affairs humbly. He particularly needs to learn what the relationship between China and US is about,” the editorial said.
“Many people will be amazed by how ‘business-minded’ the new US leader is, and how he is as ignorant as a child in terms of foreign policy.”
The transcript of Trump discussing Beijing, Taiwan and the one-China policy on Fox News Sunday
CHRIS WALLACE, Fox News Anchor: And we’re back now with this special edition of FOX NEWS SUNDAY, “The Trump Way”.
Donald Trump rattled the relationship between China and the U.S. when he spoke with the leader of Taiwan, breaking with decades of U.S. diplomacy. Now, he’s doubling down on that decision.
Back to our exclusive interview with the president-elect.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
WALLACE: You recently took a call from the president of Taiwan, and on the Sunday shows, including ours, some of your top aides said, oh, it was just a congratulatory call. But the next day, some of your top aides said, no, in fact, you had been thinking about this for weeks in advance to send a message.
So, which is it?
TRUMP: Oh, it’s all wrong. No, no. It’s all wrong. Not weeks.
I took a call. I heard the call was coming probably an hour or two before. I fully understand the One-China policy. But I don’t know why we have to be bound by a One-China policy unless we make a deal with China having to do with other things, including trade.
I mean, look, we’re being hurt very badly by China with devaluation, with taxing us heavy at the borders when we don’t tax them, with building a massive fortress in the middle of the South China Sea, which they shouldn’t be doing.
And, frankly, they’re not helping us at all with North Korea. You have North Korea, you have nuclear weapons, and China could solve that problem. And they’re not helping us at all.
So, I don’t want China dictating to me. And this was a call put into me. I didn’t make the call. And it was a call, very short call, saying, “Congratulations, sir, on the victory.” It was a very nice call. Short.
And why should some other nation be able to say, I can’t take a call? I think it would have been very disrespectful, to be honest with you, not taking it.
