Saturday, December 3, 2016

Float like a butterfly, sting like a bee

President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) was to have a telephone conversation with US president-elect Donald Trump yesterday, which would be the first time a Taiwanese president has spoken with a US president-elect since official diplomatic ties between the two nations were severed in 1979.

According to sources in Washington, Tsai was to congratulate Trump on his election win and to reiterate that Taiwan would continue to maintain a steady relationship with the US, as well as to express hopes for expanded Taiwan-US collaborations on the economy, politics and regional security.
Trump has triggered a sense of uncertainty over US policies regarding its stance in the Asia-Pacific region, saying after his election victory that Washington would withdraw from the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) and asking US allies to increase their spending on defense.
During his election campaign, he also accused Taiwanese firms of stealing US job opportunities.
Trump reportedly agreed to the call, which was arranged by Taiwan-friendly members of his campaign staff after his aides briefed him on issues regarding Taiwan and the situation in the Taiwan Strait, sources said.
Since being elected, Trump has spoken with Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平), Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and South Korean President Park Geun-hye.
International relations experts said that a communication channel was lacking between Taiwan and the US, and that bilateral communications had to be carried out through the American Institute in Taiwan, the US Department of State and the US National Security Council, which they said at times gave rise to poor communications like the friction between former president Chen Shui-bian’s (陳水扁) administration and that of then-US president George W. Bush.
If the telephone conversation between Tsai and Trump could prompt the establishment of a direct communications channel between the two sides, misunderstandings would be reduced, thereby benefiting the relationship, experts said.

18 comments:

Lem the artificially intelligent said...

Trump tweeted that it was Taiwan who called.

deborah said...

Smart of him to keep things clarified through twitter.

deborah said...

I'm enjoying watching him upset 'how things are done' on many fronts. But the Carrier deal I'm not too keen on. Reminds me of Obama's intervention in preserving GM(?) to the detriment of its shareholders. Rule of law, and all that.

Evi L. Bloggerlady said...

I had a dish of General Tso's chicken to celebrate. Is there a drink for Taiwan Liberty?

deborah said...

Absolutely, a Harvey Wallbanger.

Evi L. Bloggerlady said...

deborah, why a Harvey Wallbanger?

"wall" in a drink always means Galliano. One of those memrics for bartenders.

Perhaps we should create a cocktail for building the wall. Maybe tequila, galliano and orange juice?

deborah said...

Interesting bartender info.

I was just being silly with reference to Trump keeping the Establishment off-kilter.

Well count me as one of those who doubt an actual wall will go up, but hope enforcement of existing hiring laws, expulsion of criminals, disempowering sanctuary cities, sanctioning Mexico, etc., will make a large dent.

Can we call yours a Tequila Sunset?

Evi L. Bloggerlady said...

I would encourage a bit mixology experimentation with the Lem community to come up with an appropriate Trump themed cocktail (or cocktails).

edutcher said...

deborah said...

I'm enjoying watching him upset 'how things are done' on many fronts. But the Carrier deal I'm not too keen on. Reminds me of Obama's intervention in preserving GM(?) to the detriment of its shareholders. Rule of law, and all that.

IIRC what Pissy did was legal, but not exactly ethical or wise.

What Trump did was once called jawboning. He's going to create a more business-friendly climate in the country and probably laid out some of what he wants to do and that was what Carrier wanted to hear.

Well count me as one of those who doubt an actual wall will go up, but hope enforcement of existing hiring laws, expulsion of criminals, disempowering sanctuary cities, sanctioning Mexico, etc., will make a large dent.

More and more countries are putting up walls and they do work - witness Israel. I think you'll see it.

Trooper York said...

China has already replied. From the American Thinker:
Speaking earlier, hours after Friday's telephone call, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi pointedly blamed Taiwan for the exchange, rather than Trump, a billionaire businessman with little foreign policy experience.

"This is just the Taiwan side engaging in a petty action, and cannot change the 'one China' structure already formed by the international community," Wang said at an academic forum in Beijing, China's Foreign Ministry quoted him as saying.

"I believe that it won't change the longstanding 'one China' policy of the United States government."

In comments at the same forum, Wang noted how quickly President Xi Jinping and Trump had spoken by telephone after Trump's victory, and that Trump had praised China as a great country.

Wang said that exchange had sent "a very positive signal about the future development of Sino-U.S. relations", according to the ministry's website. Taiwan was not mentioned in that call, according to an official Chinese transcript.

Absolutely nothing will change because of this call. China will still insist on its "one China policy." Taiwan will continue as an independent state, although walking softly around the issue. The U.S. will continue to agree with the one China policy but will also continue giving the island nation the ability to defend itself from invasion.

President Tsai is from a pro-independence party, which may make it easier to negotiate with the mainland. The fact is, over the last decade, China has become a lot more like Taiwan, giving rise to hopes that the frigid relationship between them might be ready for a thaw.

The media should go back to sleep. Trump hasn't blown up the world, and the rather innocuous calls to world leaders don't threaten major upheavals in diplomacy.

(The mainstream media and the fancy pants diplomats look like fools as usual. Why would you listen to what Obama's State Department has to say. China made him climb down a rope from Air Force One the last time Obama went to China. They won't do that to Trump. He is shaking it up before he is even sworn in.)




Chip Ahoy said...

Ha! Climb down a rope. What a visualization.

Evi L. Bloggerlady said...

Troop, Scott Adams is all over it.

I enjoyed some General Tso's last night to celebrate.

MamaM said...

How many physical buildings has Trump built or remodeled and labeled/identified with his name?

Building is something Trump knows how to do and building work done with physical materials is observable and measurable. Whether the wall he builds will be complete or materially present in key sections, that wall is where he will hang his figurative name and be part of his legacy.

Trooper York said...

He will build the wall across most of the border. It will be a physical presence and give jobs to American workers to boot.

Now will it be perfect right off the bat? Of course not. But he is going to try and will accomplish a lot while enforcing existing immigration law. Eventually the wall will be very effective. Especially at interdicting drugs and criminal illegals.

He will be relentless attacked by the media and the establishments of the left and right. Just look at what happened with the Carrier jobs. I listen to some news programs on Youtube and I heard bleating from the left and the right that this was no big deal. As if 1000 jobs is bullshit. That using tax incentives was bribery. One leftist demand that he use threats and intimidation or it didn't count. WTF?

ricpic said...

China great country. Sell body part. From live body. Vely fresh fresh. You be happy long nose. Goo' deal.

deborah said...

I agree, with Carrier, he's making a splash to gain attention to the the idea he's serious about keeping jobs here.

Evi, that sounds like a job for you know who, but I'll take a stab...let me think...

rcocean said...

Yep, the screams of pain from the Establishment were funny. Trump saved 1000 jobs. Oh, nos!

Must find something to criticize.

Wait, he didn't' save ALL the jobs

Wait, its not "Freeze Enterprise"

Wait, its illegal, its immoral, its unethical, its a stunt, its a bad policy, its a this or a that, and anyway its just Wrong!

Above all, don't give trump any credit - he's just like Hitler!


deborah said...

Okay, a Moat...a shot of tequila dropped into a glass of Dos Equis.