China calls on Donald Trump to recognize Taiwan ‘high sensitivity’

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Lu Kang takes a question from the media during a press conference in Beijing on July 13, 2016. (Photos by AFP)

The Chinese Foreign Ministry has stressed that its “One-China” policy is not negotiable and called on US President-elect Donald Trump to acknowledge the “high sensitivity” of matters relating to Taiwan.

Beijing made the announcement in reaction to remarks Trump made in an interview with The Wall Street Journal on Friday, in which he said he would not commit to the “One-China” policy unless China amends its currency and trade policies.

“The One-China principle, which is the political foundation of the China-US relations, is non-negotiable,” said Chinese Foreign Ministryspokesman in a statement released on the agency’s website on Saturday.

The “One-China” policy refers to the policy or the diplomatic acknowledgement that there is only one state called China, despite the existence of two governments – one in China and another in the island of Taiwan.

Under the policy, the United States recognizes and has formal ties with the government in Beijing rather than Taiwan. China has considered Taiwan a breakaway province since a government was established there in 1949. Beijing believes the island will be reunified with the mainland one day.

“In order to avoid disruption to the sound and steady development of the China-US relations and bilateral cooperation in key areas, we urge relevant parties in the US to fully recognize the high sensitivity of the Taiwan question, approach Taiwan-related issues with prudence, and honor the commitment made by all previous US administrations of both parties on adhering to the one-China policy,” Kang added.

US President-elect Donald Trump speaks to reporters after his meeting with television personality Steve Harvey at Trump Tower, January 13, 2017 in New York. 

In an unprecedented move that angered China last month, Trump stirred tensions when he talked over the phone with Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen.

During the interview, Trump defended his conversation claiming that "It would have been very rude not to accept the phone call.” "We sold them $2 billion of military equipment last year. We can sell them $2 billion of the latest and greatest military equipment but we’re not allowed to accept a phone call,” he said.