Trump backs ‘One China’ policy in call with Xi
WASHINGTON, DC, United States (AFP) — President Donald Trump reaffirmed Washington’s “One China” policy in what he said yesterday was a “very warm” conversation with Xi Jinping, in an apparent effort to ease tensions after angering Beijing by questioning a major plank of Sino-US relations.
“We had a very, very good talk last night, and discussed a lot of subjects. It was a long talk,” Trump told a joint press conference with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe at his side.
During the phone call, the new Republican president pledged to “honour” a decades-old position that effectively acknowledges Taiwan is not separate from China — a policy that Trump had suggested a few weeks ago he might jettison.
“President Trump agreed, at the request of President Xi, to honour our ‘One China’ policy,” the White House said in a statement, adding that the two leaders had “extended invitations to meet in their respective countries”.
The White House called the phone discussion — the first since Trump took office — “extremely cordial”, saying the leaders “look forward to further talks with very successful outcomes”.
Trump said yesterday that he and Xi were “in the process of getting along very well, and I think it will be very much of a benefit to Japan”.
Xi, who took the helm of the Communist Party-ruled country in 2012, welcomed Trump’s gesture.
“Xi Jinping appreciates Trump’s emphasis on the American Government’s commitment to the One China policy and pointed out that the One China principle is the political foundation of US-China relations,” a Chinese foreign ministry statement said.
Trump’s insurgent campaign for the White House included frequently lashing out at China, which he accused of currency manipulation and stealing American jobs.
He raised eyebrows in the wake of his election victory with a protocol-busting telephone conversation with Taiwan’s President Tsai Ing-wen.
He later threw doubt on the “One China” policy, suggesting that it was up for negotiation and could form part of talks on trade, drawing rebukes from official Chinese media.
