So, Mr. Trump doubled down over the weekend during his interview with Chris Wallace. Saying that he didn't understand why we should observe the One China policy, and indicating that we should use Taiwan as a bargaining chip for trade deals.

Predictably, this has further pissed off China, and has managed to draw bad feelings from Taiwan which doesn't want to be seen as just a bauble tossed into the pot while the superpowers play global poker.

I'm curious if those who thought that he took the original call as a strategic messaging move, and that it was a good move, think this is a continuation of that good policy, or if this changes your opinion on how wise these moves are and how well thought out they might be.

http://www.cnn.com/...-one-china-reaction/

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Slowguy

(insert pithy phrase here...)

Yeah, there's this quote in a Yahoo News piece today:
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“The president is willing to engage countries that have been adversaries, break taboos in our foreign policy. [He] does not think we should be constrained — that we should do a thing because we’ve always done it this way,”
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The idea can seem pretty unsettling on it's face, especially if you think things are acceptable, if static. I'll still think things can get better, even as Trump continues to make himself look, if possible, less suited to the office.

ps. the above quote is from Obama's camp. "Deputy National Security Adviser Ben Rhodes told Yahoo News".

https://www.yahoo.com/...ition-100512362.html

I'm curious if those who thought that he took the original call as a strategic messaging move, and that it was a good move, think this is a continuation of that good policy, or if this changes your opinion on how wise these moves are and how well thought out they might be.


I was okay with Trump taking the call from Taiwan, mainly because China is acting like a bully but also because the policy towards Taiwan is 40 years old and the world has changed since then.


I don't think the call was random because there are people around Trump who know a lot about China (i.e. Steve Bannon) and I think they want to poke China to try and get an upper hand in any negotiations down the road. Not sure at this point what they are looking at as an end game but it's no secret that they believe China is a problem. I don't for a second believe that Trump himself has given any thought to the geo-politics of the One China policy, he seems only interested in the economics of currency manipulation and trade.


At this point I'd say it's okay to poke China a bit and get them unsettled but I hope they have an end game in mind. I