China Treads Carefully as Trump’s Taiwan Call Jolts Ties
- President-elect breaks protocol to speak with island’s leader
- Beijing urges U.S. to respect vow to treat two as same country
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China complained to the U.S. after President-elect Donald Trump flouted almost four decades of diplomatic protocol by directly speaking with the leader of Taiwan, which Beijing considers a rogue province.
The “solemn representation” on Saturday urged U.S. authorities to adhere to the so-called one-China principle and “prudently” handle issues related to the self-governed island. Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said that Trump’s Friday telephone call with Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen was a “little trick pulled off by Taiwan,” saying “we don’t want to see this political foundation disturbed and damaged.”