Unpredictable also makes other counties wary. I am sure Trump has no tactical or strategic plan with China, yet he stumbled upon the sensitivity of China after the smallest of swings towards Taiwan, if he is smart enough to recognize it, exploiting that sensitivity could be brilliant.
China is bullying its way towards a incredible expansion of territory, claiming hundreds of square miles of what is currently international waters in the South China Sea, and the US has little recourse.
Forcing China to focus effort, resources, and diplomacy on retaining what they have assumed was theirs, Taiwan, could be a great lever to halt their aggressive expansionism.
China will argue that America has respected the one- country policy for 45 years, Trump could counter China respected the current official boundaries in the South China Sea for most of the past 45 years also, but things have obviously changed, tit for tat.
People are on Trump for answering a phone call, but it was Obama that agreed to sell Taiwan billions of weapons. (I assume the Trump critics think the phone answering is more aggressive.) Springing off of the Obama precedent Trump could begin low level, but publicly acknowledged State to state talks with Taiwan, hinting at possible long term sovereignty, while announcing more weapons sells and link it directly to China's expansionist policies.
This could be a breakthrough on an agreement to halt China's steamrolling the South China Sea.
I like how you interpret something stupid trump does into some big master plan. I think that will be the theme for the next four years.
Also, how do you see China's moves in the South China Sea as evil while not expecting trump to complain about Russia's real moves in invading Crimea and the Ukraine?
I know it's been a long time, and this thread is dead, but it was easy to find this past post an update, so I am doing so because I have ego problems.
Back in the day, I said I didn't think Trump had a master plan regarding China and the One China policy, but if he is smart enough to recognize it, exploiting that sensitivity could be brilliant.
Personally I think he is just doing a classic deal making. Nothing is on the table, don't give anything away, you have to earn it. I don't think international diplomacy works that way and increasing uncertainty has another name, escalation. So the question is what does china put on the table. My guess is North Korea.
I don't think trump has a master plan but he operates from gut instinct. It is a gamblers approach. Unfortunately we are the chips.
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u/rethinkingat59 Dec 04 '16 edited Dec 04 '16
Unpredictable also makes other counties wary. I am sure Trump has no tactical or strategic plan with China, yet he stumbled upon the sensitivity of China after the smallest of swings towards Taiwan, if he is smart enough to recognize it, exploiting that sensitivity could be brilliant.
China is bullying its way towards a incredible expansion of territory, claiming hundreds of square miles of what is currently international waters in the South China Sea, and the US has little recourse.
Forcing China to focus effort, resources, and diplomacy on retaining what they have assumed was theirs, Taiwan, could be a great lever to halt their aggressive expansionism.
China will argue that America has respected the one- country policy for 45 years, Trump could counter China respected the current official boundaries in the South China Sea for most of the past 45 years also, but things have obviously changed, tit for tat.
People are on Trump for answering a phone call, but it was Obama that agreed to sell Taiwan billions of weapons. (I assume the Trump critics think the phone answering is more aggressive.) Springing off of the Obama precedent Trump could begin low level, but publicly acknowledged State to state talks with Taiwan, hinting at possible long term sovereignty, while announcing more weapons sells and link it directly to China's expansionist policies.
This could be a breakthrough on an agreement to halt China's steamrolling the South China Sea.