Trump Backtracks on 'One China' Stance With Xi

In his first phone call to Chinese President Xi Jinping, U.S. President Donald Trump agreed to respect the “One China” policy – a core principle in Sino-U.S. relations and firm red line for Beijing. The call has quelled some worries since Trump was elected about rising tensions between the two countries, particularly over Trump’s call to Taiwan’s president, but also on trade and the disputed South China Sea.

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During a phone conversation on Thursday night, “President Trump agreed, at the request of President Xi, to honor our 'One China' policy,” a statement from the White House said.

The statement added that the lengthy call was “extremely cordial,” where both leaders “look forward to further talks with very successful outcomes.”

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Lu Kang reinforced Beijing's historic stance that the “One China” policy is the political basis for relations between the two states. “Ensuring this political basis does not waver is vital for the healthy, stable development of China-U.S. relations,” Lu said.

“The development of China and the United States absolutely can complement each other and advance together. Both sides absolutely can become very good cooperative partners,” Xi said in a quote from the ministry's statement, while adding that both “can push bilateral relations to a historic new high.”

Under the “One China” principle, Taiwan is considered a rogue province of the people's republic. Beijing has never renounced the use of force to reunite with the island, which had come under the control of the Nationalist Party following their defeat in 1949 at the hands of the Chinese People's Liberation Army. In December, Trump broke long-standing diplomatic protocol and ignited a scandal by accepting a phone call from Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen. China has been increasingly wary of independence movements under Tsai’s rule of the island and regarded the phone conversation as “petty.” 

While Tsai claimes to be aiming toward peace, China has cut off formal mechanisms for dialogue with the island. Honoring the “One China” policy means that the U.S. will have to maintain discreet and unofficial relations with Taipei. Taiwan’s mainland affairs council, which handles affairs with China, said that it hoped for continued U.S. support and “pragmatic communication” with Beijing.

While Trump honored the policy in his discussions with Xi, statements from both sides did not mention other contentious issues of trade, the South China Sea, or recent reports of a near-miss between Chinese and U.S. naval aircraft in the disputed waters.

U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson has said that China should not be allowed access to its artificial islands in the important strategic waterway. China, despite facing setbacks in an international arbitration ruling over the ownership of the South China Sea, maintains their claim to the area. Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Tuesday suggested that the U.S. “brush up” on its history of the region.

On trade, Trump has spoken of increased protectionism and has criticized the U.S. for getting a "bad deal" in trade agreements. China, however has repeatedly warned against protectionist policies, saying that the world is better off with a more open global economy.

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It was Trump’s first phone call with Xi since coming into the White House. According to Chinese diplomatic sources, China was hesitant that a call with Trump could go wrong with false information leaked to the media.

Trump has had other phone call gaffes besides his call with Taiwan. In his first call with Russian President Vladimir Putin, Trump reportedly had to pause mid-conversation to ask his aides about the details of a nuclear treaty between the two countries, which Trump has again referred to as a “bad deal” for the U.S.

A conversation with Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull soured relations when Trump abruptly ended a call after Turnbull raised a number of issues including an Obama-era refugee swap deal, which Trump labeled as “dumb.”