China's Protest Against Donald Trump's Phone Call with Taiwan's President

Following a phone call between Donald Trump, the President-elect of the United States, and Tsai Ing-wen, the President of Taiwan, China's Foreign Minister reacted by stating that a complaint had been submitted to the American side and called for caution from the U.S. regarding the Taiwan issue. Trump and Tsai discussed the 'close economic, political, and security relations' between the U.S. and Taiwan during a ten-minute phone call on Friday, December 3, and Trump congratulated Tsai on her victory in the presidential elections earlier this year. This is the first phone call of its kind since 1979, when then-President Jimmy Carter distanced the U.S. from separate diplomatic relations with Taiwan, recognizing it as part of 'One China.' China does not recognize Taiwan's separation and considers it a province of its own, reacting negatively to any actions perceived as supporting Taiwan's independence. According to Reuters, hours after Trump's call, Wang Yi, China's Foreign Minister, responded during an event in Beijing, stating that his ministry had expressed 'very serious' objections to the American side and urged the United States to exercise more caution to avoid unnecessary disruptions in bilateral relations regarding Taiwan. He also mentioned that 'this is merely a minor action from Taiwan and cannot change the 'One China' structure formed by the international community.' Wang Yi added that 'I believe this action does not alter the long-term 'One China' policy of the United States.' He emphasized that the 'One China' principle is the political foundation of China-U.S. relations. The Chinese Foreign Minister also noted that Xi Jinping, the President of China, and Donald Trump had 'quickly' communicated after Trump's election victory, with Trump praising China as a 'great country.' Wang Yi stated that this conversation 'carried a very positive sign for the future of China-U.S. relations.' According to Reuters, the official Chinese version of the conversation indicates that the Taiwan issue was not mentioned. Meanwhile, Donald Trump tweeted that the phone call with Taiwan's President was initiated by the Taiwanese side. In his tweet, Trump also wrote: 'It's interesting how the U.S. sells billions of dollars in weapons and military equipment to Taiwan, but I shouldn't accept a congratulatory message?' In this context, Trump defended his phone conversation with Taiwan's President.