Analysts say China should pressurise Donald Trump on "One China" policy

Li Haidong, professor at China Foreign Affairs University, attributes Trump's comments to his inexperience.

Beijing, Dec 12 Chinese analysts have dismissed as "immature" Donald Trump's questioning of the relevance of continuing the "One-China" policy, saying the US President- elect's statement is "borne out of superficial knowledge" of bilateral ties and Beijing should pressurise him to stick to the status quo.

While China is yet to come out with an official reaction to Trump's remarks made in an interview to Fox news, analysts said his comments were "immature and borne out of superficial knowledge of China-US relations".

A Chinese analyst was quoted by the state-run Global Times web edition as saying that China should make Trump understand the importance and complexity of Sino-US ties and prevent him from being manipulated by some conservative forces after Trump questioned whether the US should continue its "One-China policy" unless Beijing makes concessions on trade and other issues.

In his comments, Trump said, "I do not want China dictating to me".

Recently, he had a phone conversation with Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen, the first by a US leader in decades, prompting a diplomatic protest from China.

"I do not know why we have to be bound by a one-China policy unless we make a deal with China having to do with other things, including trade," Trump said in his interview with Fox news yesterday.

Trump said he had just a couple of hours' notice that the call was coming, not weeks or longer as has been reported. Besides trade, Trump said China was not cooperating with the US on its handling of its currency, on North Korea and its nuclear weapons, or on tensions in the disputed South China Sea where, he said, China is building "a massive fortress".

Trump said it would have been disrespectful not to take the call from Tsai, who he said wanted to congratulate him on his election win.

Li Haidong, professor at China Foreign Affairs University, attributes Trump's comments to his inexperience.

"Trump is a novice at dealing with diplomatic and international relations issues. He is inexperienced in sensitive and complicated issues except for business and trade," Li said.

"His knowledge about Sino-US relations, particularly the Taiwan question, is very superficial, which gives him the nerve to say whatever he likes. As a businessman, he thinks it is quite normal to do business, but he has not realised that the Taiwan question is not a business to China. The Taiwan question is not negotiable," the paper quoted Li as saying.

PTI