Friday, December 2, 2016

Is President-Elect Trump Upsetting International Diplomacy BY Calling World Leaders?



Max Fisher and Josh Keller, New York Times: How Trump’s Calls to World Leaders Are Upsetting Decades of Diplomacy

President-elect Donald J. Trump has broken with decades of diplomatic practice in freewheeling calls with foreign leaders.

Mr. Trump talks to the president of Taiwan, becoming the first U.S. president or president-elect to do so since 1979.

Why it matters

The call with President Tsai Ing-wen risks infuriating China, which considers Taiwan a breakaway province governed by Chinese rebels. By honoring the Taiwanese president with a formal call, Mr. Trump’s transition team implicitly suggests that it considers Taiwan an independent state. The U.S. has declined to recognize Taiwan since 1979, when it shifted recognition to the government in Beijing. Taiwan itself has yet to declare formal independence. Mr. Trump tweeted, “The President of Taiwan CALLED ME today to wish me congratulations on winning the Presidency.”

Read more ....

WNU Editor: The world of diplomacy needs a little "shaking up" .... but is this the right way to do it? Hmmm .... probably not. But as a former diplomat .... I must confess that I am getting a kick knowing that there are probably a few diplomats in the U.S. State Department who are having a "heart-attack" right now.

2 comments:

rjbrash said...

So, Obama and CONgress sell $1.8 billion worth of arms to Taiwan. Hardly worth mentioning. Trump gets a congratulatory call and everyones panties get twisted up and "THE MEDIA" shreeks and clutches pearls. Give me a frikken break.

Unknown said...

What rjbrash said.

I heard the breathless radio news bulletin (bullet) points put out by the press on the top of the hour.

From the sound of the angry buzzing I assumed Trump has stepped into it & insulted the Taiwanese leader or something.

But it was just the useless pricks & HOs of the AP & other venues setting up a narrative.