Donald Trump made his first phone call as US President to his Chinese counterpart, Xi Jinping, on Friday morning, during which he reaffirmed the one-China policy at Xi’s request. This signalled an about-face by Trump, who had questioned on several occasions the long-standing policy’s validity since his election victory in November. Trump reaffirms one-China policy in surprise phone call with Xi Jinping The one-China policy, which recognises that Taiwan is part of China, has been seen as the basis of Sino-US relations since the 1970s. Here we take a look at what Trump has been saying on the subject in the past few months. December 2, 2016 After Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen’s phone call to then-President-elect Trump, he defends his decision to take her call, tweeting that it was merely to congratulate him on his victory. “Interesting how the US sells Taiwan billions of dollars of military equipment but I should not accept a congratulatory call,” his tweet reads. December 11 Trump tells the Fox News Sunday television talk show: “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.” Donald Trump sends letter to Xi Jinping seeking ‘constructive relationship’ with China December 18 Trump’s top aide, Reince Priebus tells Fox News Sunday : “We are not suggesting that we’re revisiting one-China policy right now.” January 11, 2017 “I don’t know of any plans to alter the one-China position,” Trump’s appointee as US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson tells the US Senate Foreign Relations Committee during his confirmation hearing. What is the one-China policy and how did it become the bedrock of Sino-US ties? January 13 “Everything is under negotiation, including one China,” Trump tells The Wall Street Journal .
