Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

Stop Freaking Out, Donald Trump’s Taiwan Phone Call Was a Good Thing
The Daily Beast ^ | 12.04.16 | GORDON G. CHANG

Posted on 12/04/2016 7:43:04 PM PST by E. Pluribus Unum

For too long, the West has cowered when Beijing huffed and puffed about Taiwan. Trump is finally calling its bluff.

Chris Murphy, a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, thinks Donald Trump has just put America on the road to war.

In reality, the opposite may be true. The president-elect may have taken the first steps to stabilize East Asia.

On Thursday and Friday, Mr. Trump spoke over the phone with his counterparts in Pakistan, Kazakhstan, Afghanistan, the Philippines, and Singapore. Yet by far the most controversial, and consequential, conversation occurred on Friday, when he exchanged pleasantries for 10 minutes with Tsai Ing-wen, the Taiwan leader.

Trump spoke with Tsai without consulting the White House or the State Department. He also bypassed the American Institute in Taiwan, America’s liaison office in Taipei.

Critics jumped at the lack of coordination. Senator Murphy, in a tweet, called the phone conversations “major pivots in foreign policy w/out any plan.” And then the Connecticut Democrat dropped this line on the public: “That’s how wars start.”

Murphy, by raising the prospect of titanic armed struggle, could not have been thinking of Trump’s conversations with Rodrigo Duterte of the Philippines or Nawaz Sharif of Pakistan. The president-elect may have made a few misguided comments while discussing affairs with them, but these mistakes were innocuous.

(Excerpt) Read more at thedailybeast.com ...


TOPICS: Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS:
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-2021-25 last
To: E. Pluribus Unum
So let me get this straight.

Communication between heads of state causes war, but the following does not.

Promoting a coup to topple an elected leader. (Ukraine)
Arming rebels and terrorists with weapons and training in another country. (Syria)(Libya)
Ending support for a leader that has been a long time ally and forcing elections. (Egypt)
Trying to get known terrorists organizations in control of a countries government. (Egypt)(Syria)(Libya)
Assasinating an elected leader. (Libya)
Pulling out needed security forces and leaving a country defenseless. (Iraq)
Forcing stable countries to accept hundreds of thousands of refugees from all of the above. (EU)(US)

21 posted on 12/04/2016 11:25:34 PM PST by justa-hairyape (The user name is sarcastic. Although at times it may not appear that way.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: E. Pluribus Unum

Donald’s got a big Magic Wand and he’s not afraid to use it!!


22 posted on 12/05/2016 3:31:00 AM PST by Ann Archy (Abortion....... The HUMAN Sacrifice to the god of Convenience.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: ConservaTeen

Conn. is a GONER and everyone that lives ther is STUPID to pay those high taxes!


23 posted on 12/05/2016 3:31:53 AM PST by Ann Archy (Abortion....... The HUMAN Sacrifice to the god of Convenience.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 15 | View Replies]

To: SaveFerris; Larry Lucido
And just who did they get to translate from English to Mandarin?


24 posted on 12/05/2016 5:48:25 AM PST by Gamecock (Gun owner. Christian. Pro-American. Pro Law and Order. I am in the basket of deplorables.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 11 | View Replies]

To: E. Pluribus Unum
It is being widely reported that this policy of not talking to Taiwan goes back to Carter. Does that mean that Trump is the first president to talk to Taiwan

SINCE REAGAN???????


25 posted on 12/05/2016 9:48:09 PM PST by ChinaGotTheGoodsOnClinton (Go Egypt on 0bama)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-2021-25 last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson