RTFri, 10 Feb 2017 13:33 UTC
© Reuters
In a phone conversation with Chinese President Xi Jinping, US President Donald Trump has vowed to honor Beijing's "One China" policy, the White House said. The two leaders exchanged state visit invitations in a sign of improving ties.
"President Trump agreed, at the request of President Xi, to honor our 'one China' policy," the White House statement said, following a lengthy conversation between Trump and Xi."They also extended invitations to meet in their respective countries. President Trump and President Xi look forward to further talks with very successful outcomes," the White House said. Without providing further details, the statement spoke of "discussions and negotiations on various issues of mutual interest" that the two plan to undertake.
The call was preceded by a letter from Trump, who thanked Xi for his congratulations on Trump winning the presidency and spoke of developing "constructive relationship that benefits both the United States and China."
US-China relations, already tense on the topic of the disputed South China Sea islands also claimed by US ally Japan, became further strained after Trump's victory after his phone conversation with Taiwan's President Tsai Ing-wen. The exchange infuriated Beijing, as it considered it running against the bilateral protocol of "One-China" policy, under which Washington views Taiwan as part of China.
Following Trump's phone call with the Taiwanese leader, the White House downplayed speculation that the sensitive issue was in danger of being reviewed.
Comment: Timeline of Trump's stance on the "One China" policy
courtesy of Reuters.
- Dec 2 - Trump speaks by phone with President Tsai Ing-wen of Taiwan, a move that is likely to infuriate China, which considers the self-ruled island its own, and complicate U.S. relations with Beijing. China lodges swift protest, blaming Taiwan for the petty move.
- Dec 11 - Trump says the United States did not necessarily have to stick to its long-standing position that Taiwan is part of "one China," questioning nearly four decades of U.S. policy.
- Dec 12 - China expresses "serious concern" after Trump said the United States did not necessarily have to stick to its long-held stance that Taiwan is part of "one China".
- Dec 14 - In a veiled warning to Trump, China's ambassador to the United States says Beijing will never bargain with Washington over issues involving its national sovereignty or territorial integrity.
- Jan 11 - Taiwan scrambles jets and navy ships after a group of Chinese warships, led by its sole aircraft carrier, sailed through the Taiwan Strait, the latest sign of heightened tension between Beijing and the island.
- Jan 12 - Trump's then nominee for secretary of state, Rex Tillerson, says China should be denied access to islands it has built in the contested South China Sea, describing the placing of military assets there as "akin to Russia's taking Crimea" from Ukraine.
- Feb 3 - China's top diplomat, Yang Jiechi, tells Michael Flynn, Trump's National Security Advisor, that China hopes it can work with the United States to manage and control disputes and sensitive problems.
- Feb 9 - Trump breaks the ice with Xi in a letter that says he looks forward to working with him to develop relations.
- Feb 9 - Trump changes tack and agrees to honor the "one China" policy during a phone call with Xi.
Comment: Timeline of Trump's stance on the "One China" policy courtesy of Reuters.