LEVERAGE:What Trump cares about is US-China trade, and he might be prepared to use Taiwan as a bargaining chip, KMT caucus secretary-general Johnny Chiang said

Taipei Times
Date: Dec 13, 2016
By: Staff writer, with CNA

US president-elect Donald Trump’s recent remarks about the US’ “one China” policy “could be a double-edged sword,” a Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) lawmaker said, while an opposition party lawmaker called on Taiwan to “think it through” before assuming Trump’s stance is good for Taiwan.

Trump, in an interview on Sunday, said that while he “fully” understands the US’ “one China” policy, he does not know why the US has to be “bound by the ‘one China’ policy unless [it makes] a deal with China.”

DPP Legislator Lo Chih-cheng (羅致政) yesterday said Trump’s statement could be “a double-edged sword,” as on the one hand it means that the US does not necessarily have to accept its “one China” policy when its main aim is to get Beijing to the bargaining table, but on the other hand it also implies that the “one China” policy could be accepted, depending on the result of negotiations with China.

He added that Taiwan has never regarded the US’ “one China” position as a good policy, because the basis of Taiwan-US exchanges should not be restricted by the “one China” framework.    [FULL  STORY]