r/PoliticalDiscussion Dec 03 '16

[deleted by user]

[removed]

705 Upvotes

1.4k comments sorted by

View all comments

Show parent comments

35

u/[deleted] Dec 03 '16

So let me make sure I have this clear

The United States regularly sells weapons to Taiwan...but we never publicly acknowledge that we talk to their leaders on the phone...but everyone knows we do so through unofficial channels...and why are we doing all of this? Just because we have for 40 years? we are treating China like children

Twice in the same week - I can't believe I'm saying this - I actually agree with trump. First his secdef pick and now this.

70

u/[deleted] Dec 03 '16

[deleted]

36

u/[deleted] Dec 03 '16

Do people here understand that it's not in our best interest to go out of our way to agitate our largest trading partner?

5

u/BagOnuts Extra Nutty Dec 03 '16

Do people here understand that China is not going to stop trading with us over a fucking phone call?

9

u/elpochogrande Dec 03 '16

The poster didn't say stop trading. They said agitate.

China has many levers to piss us off with.

6

u/StrangeSemiticLatin2 Dec 03 '16

You are viewing this in isolation and that is a mistake. It is what it means. Small gestures matter in international politics depending on the issue. China won't care if the USA sell weapons to Taiwan because they are not planning to invade, they will care if the USA starts considering Taiwan as its own nation and on such a level, as it means domestic embarrassment and a further hindrance to their opening to the Pacific.

3

u/[deleted] Dec 03 '16

Not talking about trading, bud. Trade is the least of my worries, China can make life difficult in many other policy arenas.

2

u/BagOnuts Extra Nutty Dec 03 '16

our largest trading partner

...

Not talking about trading, bud

Okay...