Trump made the decision as president-elect to restore communications with Taiwan which have been dismantled since 1979. While some may consider it a “thoughtless blundering of a foreign policy novice,” others see it as a way to initiate better communication with China. As members of Trump’s team, many GOP conservatives have begun to play a role in reinstating Taiwanese relations. America’s relationship with the Chinese has since been rattled, which has only made Taiwan more of a forefront for diplomatic correspondences. To clarify, both Trump’s team and Taiwan’s leaders had planned the call much beforehand, and both sides were ready to salute each other as proponents of democracy, able to support each other in their endeavors. Perhaps what is most important to note is the looseness of this phone call, how little it actually determines about America’s, Taiwan’s, and China’s relationship with each other. But it is of utmost importance to recognize that this has been the first official relation between the two countries in over 30 years.
Questions:
What effect will this phone call have on Trump’s presidency? On US and Chinese relationships?
Did Trump make the right call? (pun intended)
How much is Trump adhering to “typical Washington rules”?
I do not believe that Trump made the right call because China is now, whether we like it or not, a super power in both the world economy and military balance. Trying to bully China, to get what the U.S. wants, is no longer a feasible option. I believe that if the U.S. wants to keep the place it has in the world than the U.S. must be willing to work with China because China has the power to go toe to toe with the U.S. and potentially win.
ReplyDeleteI agree. As China continues to expand its economic influence beyond Asia, Trump's proposed protectionist policies will only weaken America's status as a economic superpower. Furthermore, isolating China with clear acts of aggression such as reopening communications with Taiwan (at least China sees it as an act of aggression) will only worse our already poor political relationship with the rapidly increasing world superpower.
DeleteWhile the call was staged as a simple congratulatory call, Trump's tactics make it clear that he will deviate from the standard political norms. His moves that will alienate China from the US only serves to widen the divide between the two countries rather than bring them together. Taiwan is an especially touchy subject for China and putting pressure on this open wound is only going to lead to more damage and degrade future relationships.
ReplyDeleteI agree that Taiwan is an especially touchy subject when it comes to relations with China. Moreover, I agree that Trump has been increasing the divide between American and Chinese relations seeing as he has repeatedly blamed China for a great deal of American problems. I do not see the Trump administration working cooperatively with China, however I do hope that relations between America and China do not get worse.
DeleteI think that this call may put unnecessary strain on US-China relations during the Trump presidency, especially if he keeps in contact with Taiwan. Trump has repeatedly shown that he cares not for precedent in Washington (not taking daily intelligence briefings everyday, not releasing tax returns, etc.), so it will be interesting to see how his decisions affect the economy and US international relations.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Drew's statements. Trump's call with Taiwan puts America's relationship with China at risk, something America cannot afford. Though at this point Trump has not completely acted irrationally, however it is frightening to see what he will do next. As Drew said, "he cares not for precedent in Washington." His lack of normal Washington behavior combined with some of his extreme comments will make every action he makes a dangerous one.
DeleteTrump does not adhere to "typical Washington rules" due to openly expressing his more "dirty business". Trump's phone call to Taiwan displays such ideas. This call is most likely not the first time a US president has called Taiwan yet this is the first openly known. Trump does not follow the Washington rule of keeping the public uninformed of your actions. Is this a bad thing? Only time will tell, but so far it is not beneficial.
ReplyDeleteWith this phone call, Trump has already started to unravel US relations with other countries. Whether we like it or not, America relies heavily on the goods China can provide us, and so weakening this relationship could have detrimental effects on the economy. Recognizing Taiwan and upsetting China was not a safe maneuver on Trump's part because they have the power to damage our position as a world power.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Kaeley's statements. Chia is a super power economically and militarily, and we rely heavily on both of these aspects to help make America a stronger and more powerful country. Without China's help, our economy could crash causing much harm for many citizens. Trump's call with Taiwan was not a good idea. If we upset Taiwan and or China, America's economy and safety could suffer.
DeleteBy reopening communications with Taiwan, Trump has placed the US in a very precarious situation. As stated by many above, America has grown to depend on Chinese imports, and in many senses the Western materialistic society has helped China grow into the powerhouse it is today. Trump should have probably stuck to "typical Washington rules" in this case, because there is not much to be gained from reaching out to Taiwan. In fact, as a response to the call, many state-run newspapers in China are actually calling on Beijing to invade Taiwan, which would result in a plethora of problems for the US.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Jason. This move could potentially jeopardize our relations with China, which are critical to our success. Reaching out to Taiwan isn't worth the potential damage. Trump should definitely stick to "typical Washington rules".
DeleteI think it is quite obvious that Trump has not (and probably never will) adhere to "typical Washington rules". I think many of his supporters believed that his outlandish ways would be a refreshing break from political correctness and would "drain the swamp". However, I think this event proves that Trump's unusual methods are not going to be beneficial politically. I agree with many of the comments above; Trump should not be openly provoking a country as powerful as China. Taiwan may be a better ally for the US in terms of ideologies and beliefs, but Taiwan is simply not as powerful and prominent as China. It will be interesting to see how this change in relations between the US and the countries in Asia will play out in the future.
ReplyDeleteThis phone call culd very well have a large impact on his presidency. As the President-elect the actions he does are looked at by the entire world, and is a slap in the face for China. With tensions rising in the South China sea this phone call could be seen as the start in a frosting in relations between Washington and Beijing. I believe Trump made the wrong call, friendly relations with the world power of China are a must, even though he is getting friendly with the Russians, having China as an enemy, especially with how much trade is going on between the US and China, could prove to be very dangerous.
ReplyDeleteI think that Trump made the right call in making contact with Taiwan. By making contact with Taiwan Trump is taking a step towards trying to patch up relations with Taiwan and China which if everything goes right can be extremely beneficial to the future of the United States. However, if relations with Taiwan and China worsen the effects could be deadly to the United States as well as many other nations.
ReplyDeleteBy patching relations with Taiwan, it may mean angering China. As the US and China are trading partners, and the fact that China is a world super-power, it is not realistic for Trump to expect China to bend to his will.
DeleteI agree with Alex that opening relations with Taiwan and potentially China is beneficial. Just as the American ping pong team had gone to China in the 1970's and had paved the way for Nixon's visit, I believe that Trump's phone call is doing the same.
DeleteI think that Trump's phone call with Taiwan's leader will definitely have an effect on his relationship with china, not only has trump already made lots of critical comments about China during his campaign but this phone call was seen as a provocation to many chinese officials. I do think that he made the right call, because for many decades China has taken its relationship with the U.S for granted. By reinstating relations with Taiwan, Trump may be trying to get china to the negotiating table for issues such as trade, North Korea,...
ReplyDeleteI think this phone call was strategic and fits with the kind of statements Trump was making on the campaign trail. It is clear that Trump is attempting to turn American hostilities away from Russia and towards China. Trump constantly blamed China for many problems facing America today, from global warming to a lack of good paying jobs. Therefore, I believe this phone call was Trump's first attempt at making a statement to the Chinese that he doesn't plan to respect their position or wishes and is going to get in their way.
ReplyDeleteTrump is in no way playing by typical Washington rules. The Republic of China is no longer recognized by the UN; the official Chinese delegate is from the People's Republic of China. If Trump contacts a state unrecognized by the UN, that's violation enough of the usual rules dictating policy, but the Republic of China is in the unique position of having to protect its sovereignty and interests from the People's Republic--thus making them likely enemies in a war. In this way, the Trump administration would have to choose sides--likely with catastrophic effects throughout most of Asia.
ReplyDeleteThe relationship between Trump and China will be interesting to see during his presidency. He has criticized them all throughout his campaign, and has now restored communications with the Chinese claimed Taiwan. This could only be the first step in damaging the relationship between China and the US even more. Despite this however, Trump has vowed to pull the US out of the Trans Pacific Partnership (TPP) which sought to create a more common market between countries in the Pacific, partially to combat China's economic growth. Trump's plans have made the Chinese happy a little bit, but it will be interesting to see what else he does.
ReplyDeleteI think Trump, especially with his cabinet, will aggravate China even more and that he will go back on his word against the TPP. Instead, I think Trump will "tweak" the provisions and sign an exact copy of the deal.
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