Chinese State Tabloid Sends Warning to Trump About US' "One China Policy"

Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen
Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen (photo: Merinews)
By Mei ManuelJanuary 9th, 2017

On Sunday, Chinese state tabloid Global Times released an editorial which warns US President-elect Donald Trump that China would "take revenge" if he ever revokes the one-China policy a few hours after Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen made a stopover in Houston.

Tsai was en route to Central America for a state visit in Honduras, Nicaragua, Guatemala and El Salvador. On Sunday, she met up US Republican lawmakers during her stopover in Houston and she will be stopping by San Francisco on January 13 before she returns to Taiwan. Texas Governor Greg Abboth had tweeted a photograph showing him with Tsai and according to Tsai's office on Monday, she also spoke with US Senators John McCain and Ted Cruz.

China had asked the US prior to Tsai's stopover to not allow her to enter the US or have formal government meetings under the one China policy. Beijing has long considered the self-governing Taiwan as a renegade province that should not do state-to-state relations.

In the editorial on Sunday, the tabloid said "Sticking to (the one China) principle is not a capricious request by China upon US presidents, but an obligation of US presidents to maintain China-US relations and respect the existing order of the Asia-Pacific."

The tabloid added "If Trump reneges on the one-China policy after taking office, the Chinese people will demand the government to take revenge. There is no room for bargaining."

According to Senator Cruz, several members of the Congress had actually received a letter from the Chinese consulate asking them not to meet Tsai during her stopovers. He said in a statement, "The People's Republic of China needs to understand that in America, we make decisions about meeting with visitors for ourselves. This is not about the PRC. This is about the US relationship with Taiwan, an ally we are legally bound to defend."

Cruz remarked that he and Tsai discussed how bilateral relations can be improved and how economic cooperation between the US and Taiwan can be expanded, including the increase access to Taiwan markets to allow Texas ranchers, farmers and small businesses.

On Monday, the Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Lu Kang urged "relevant US officials" to handled the Taiwan issue appropriately to avoid harming China-US ties.

He also said "We firmly oppose leaders of the Taiwan region, on the so-called basis of a transit visit, having any form of contact with US officials and engaging in activities that interfere with and damage China-US relations."

On Saturday, Tsai had spoken to hundreds of overseas Taiwanese in a dinner event and said the US holds a "special place in the hearts of the people of Taiwan" and the island - through bilateral exchanges - has provided more than 320,000 jobs directly and indirectly to the American people. She also said that Taiwan looks to create more US jobs through deeper investment, trade and procurement.

Her office had also said that the Chairman of the American Institute in Taiwan, James Moriarty, had said to her that the US will be continuing efforts to persuade China to resume talks with Taiwan. 

China is suspicious with Tsai, who thinks her actions may be for the formal independence of the island from the mainland. The editorial said that China is likely to impose further diplomatic, economic and military pressure on Taiwan and warned that "Tsai needs to face the consequences for every provocative step she takes."

"It should also impose military pressure on Taiwan and push it to the edge of being reunified by force, so as to effectively affect the approval rating of the Tsai administration."

related articles
LATEST FROM China