‘CAUTIOUS OPTIMISM’:Taiwan-US ties would be freed from China’s obstructionism if US president-elect Donald Trump can withstand Beijing’s pressure, an academic said
Taipei Times
Date: Dec 05, 2016
By: Lu Yi-hsuan / Staff reporter
The telephone call between President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) and US president-elect Donald Trump
The front pages of Saturday’s edition of two major Japanese newspapers, the Nikkei Asian Review, left, and Yomiuri Shimbun, are pictured carrying the news of President Tsai Ing-wen’s telephone call to US president-elect Donald Trump. Photo: CNA
has continued to spark debate in Taiwan, with some expressing optimism over the creation of a new model of interaction for Taipei and Washington, while others voiced concerns over a possible return to cross-strait diplomatic rows.
The 10-minute call between Tsai and Trump on Friday evening demonstrated that Trump’s team attaches importance to Taiwan, National Chung Hsing University Graduate Institute of International Politics professor Tsai Ming-yen (蔡明彥) said.
“The call could address the long-term absence of high-level dialogue and interactions between Taiwan and the US… If the Trump camp can withstand inevitable pressure from Beijing over the matter, a new interaction model could be created for Taipei-Washington ties,” Tsai Ming-yen said.
Expressing “cautious optimism” over Taiwan-US relations, Tsai Ming-yen said there have only been routine interactions at lower levels between the two sides. [FULL STORY]
