USA: Chinese state media slams Trump for his latest Taiwan comments

By: LA Times

Chinese state media criticized President-elect Donald Trump on Monday after he hinted his administration might toss aside four decades of U.S. policy and not consider Taiwan part of one, united China.

The Global Times, in a biting editorial, called Trump “as ignorant as a child in terms of foreign policy” and warned him against a move that could rupture U.S.-China relations: “Listen clearly, the One-China policy cannot be traded.”  

Trump’s comments on Fox News on Sunday morning took aim at Beijing just a week after he broke with long-standing precedent and accepted a call from Taiwan leader Tsai Ing-wen.

“I fully understand the One-China policy, but I don’t know why we have to be bound by a One-China policy unless we make a deal with China having to do with other things, including trade," Trump said.

Trump’s call with Tsai marked the first direct contact between an incoming or current American president and Taiwan's leader since the U.S. broke off formal diplomatic relations with Taiwan in 1979.  Beijing considers the self-governing island a breakaway province and opposes any country’s attempt to recognize it. Both view themselves as the rightful governments of a united Chinese state.

Beijing lodged an official protest after the conversation but has not gone much further.

Trump told Fox News it would have appeared disrespectful not to take Tsai’s phone call. “Why should some other nation be able to say I can’t take a call?” he said on the news network. 

Trump defends considering oil executive with ties to Vladimir Putin for secretary of State

President-elect Donald Trump on Sunday defended his potential choice of Rex Tillerson, a powerful oil executive with close ties to Russia’s president, for the post of secretary of State .

"He's much more than a business executive. I mean, he's a world-class player," Trump said during a "Fox News Sunday" interview. "And to me, a great advantage is he knows many of the players, and he knows them well. He does massive deals in Russia. He does massive deals for the company, not for himself, for the company."

Trump said he is still considering multiple candidates, specifically mentioning former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney and Republican Sen. Bob Corker of Tennessee.