In a stern reminder this Saturday, China’s foreign minister said that president-elect Donald Trump should remember that there’s “only one” Chinese government he should be talking to.
The statement came in the wake of Trump violating the “one China” policy by speaking on the phone with Taiwan’s president this Friday. As Talking Points Memo points out, it was the only known time in nearly four decades that a U.S. President has spoken on the phone with the president of Taiwan.
Since China still views Taiwan as part of China, they’ve deemed its president Tsiai Ing-Wen as illegitimate, a balancing act the U.S. has been keeping for over 30 years.
“It must be pointed out that there is only one China in the world,” the Chinese foreign ministry said.
“We urge the relevant side in the US to adhere to the ‘one China’ policy, abide by the pledges in the three joint China-US communiques, and handle issues related to Taiwan carefully and properly to avoid causing unnecessary interference to the overall China-U.S. relationship,” the statement continued.
Responding to the uproar, Trump claimed he was merely answering a congratulatory call.
“The President of Taiwan CALLED ME today to wish me congratulations on winning the Presidency. Thank you,’ Trump tweeted.
He added:
Interesting how the U.S. sells Taiwan billions of dollars of military equipment but I should not accept a congratulatory call.
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 3, 2016
Featured image: Gage Skidmore/YouTube
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