The China Post
Date: December 5, 2016
By: The China Post
By Alan Fong–For the second installment of The China Post special report on the impact of Donald
This photo combination shows U.S. President-elect Donald Trump, left, speaking during a USA Thank You tour event in Cincinnati, U.S., Thursday, Dec. 1, and Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen delivering a speech during National Day celebrations in Taipei, Taiwan, Monday, Oct. 10. (AP)
Trump’s presidential election on Taiwan, we had been preparing to analyze his picks for key national security officials and his recent moderation of his isolationist rhetoric from the campaign trail.
These plans went out the window Saturday with the announcement of a 10-minute telephone call between Trump and President Tsai Ing-wen, the first between a U.S. president or president-elect with a Taiwanese head of state since the two nations severed diplomatic ties in 1979. It would be absurd to read the tea leaves after the Donald himself has delivered a shocking break with diplomatic practice.
Our sudden change of content is a befitting example of the uncertainty in cross-strait relations expected under a Trump presidency. It is difficult to overstate the significance of the call, which has made headlines around world.
But in addition to the fact of the call, the manner in which he announced the dialogue is also significant. [FULL STORY]
