On Sunday, directly on the heels of Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen’s controversial meeting with U.S. lawmakers in Houston, a state-run Chinese tabloid ran an editorial warning that China would “take revenge” if the U.S. abandoned its one-China policy.
“Trump is yet to be inaugurated, and there is no need for Beijing to sacrifice bilateral ties for the sake of Taiwan,” writes the Global Times. “But in case he tears up the one-China policy after taking office, the mainland is prepared.”
The editorial goes on to state that “Beijing would rather break ties with the US if necessary” and that continuing collaboration between U.S. and Taiwanese officials will “ruin Sino-US relations and destabilize the entire Asia-Pacific region.”
Later in the piece, however, the Times discards pretense and assumes a more threatening tone:
If Trump reneges on the one-China policy after taking office, the Chinese people will demand the government to take revenge. There is no room for bargaining.
The opinion of the Global Times, as Reuters points out, does not necessarily equate to the official stance of the Chinese government. It is, however, a state-controlled outlet, and the editorial undeniably reflects the mounting tension between China and the U.S. over the issue of Taiwan.
China views the nation of Taiwan — whose foundation was laid in 1949, when the official Chinese government was forced to flee to the island to escape the Communists — as an official Chinese province. This is the root of the one-China policy, which the U.S. has long adhered to.
This all began to change when incoming President Trump broke protocol, as highlighted by a Washington Post piece on Monday.
“Tensions regarding U.S.-Chinese-Taiwanese relations have been high since early December,” the Post writes, “when President-elect Donald Trump accepted a phone call from Tsai, breaking with nearly four decades of protocol in speaking directly with the Taiwanese leader.”
The situation intensified during the weeks that followed, most notably due to the Taiwanese president’s announcement that she would stop over in Houston to meet with Texas lawmakers on her way to Central America. This prompted the Chinese General Consul of Houston to send a letter to one of those lawmakers, Senator Ted Cruz, asking him not to meet with Tsai.
The senator ignored that request, however, and he and Governor Greg Abbott met with Tsai on Sunday. Within hours, the Global Times editorial warning the U.S. against taking actions counter to the “obligation of US presidents to maintain China-US relations” had been published.
In a statement, however, Senator Cruz made it clear the United States will not be told with whom it can and cannot meet.
“The People’s Republic of China needs to understand that in America we make decisions about meeting with visitors for ourselves,” the statement reads. “This is about the U.S. relationship with Taiwan, an ally we are legally bound to defend. The Chinese do not give us veto power over those with whom we meet. We will continue to meet with anyone, including the Taiwanese, as we see fit.”
This article (China Just Sent the Most Chilling Message yet over US-Taiwan Relations) is free and open source. You have permission to republish this article under a Creative Commons license with attribution to James Holbrooks and theAntiMedia.org. Anti-Media Radio airs weeknights at 11 pm Eastern/8 pm Pacific. If you spot a typo, please email the error and name of the article to [email protected].
So the chinks risk billions in trade for a rock in the ocean. Dopes.
Deplorable, proud or not, your use of a pejorative term to describe the Chinese is proof of innate racism and a symptom of a hubris that is degenerate.
Don’t care. They’re still dopes. I can love or hate whoever I damn please.
YES!!!! EXACTLY!!!! U S ARMY VETERAN
Shame!
A very telling response!
Yes. It tells that we’re all free to think whatever we wish about any topic. We can love, hate or disregard as we please. We’re free people despite the libtards.
Fck you and all like you.
You are a postcard impression of the Ugly American!
And you are a filthy libtard.
I suggest you do not visit Hong Kong or China. They do see what you write like the NSA.
Whatever.
Humor and satire are Free Speech. Please.
I consider the word used to describe Chinese as similar to the N word used to describe Blacks, both are anathema and totally racist. They most certainly are not humorous in the least and I very much doubt that there was any satire involved. This has nothing to do with free speech. He has a right to say anything he wants, but what he says tells a lot about his lack of character!
It really does. I would rather people had Free Speech, then nonstop censorship by the Politically Correct fascists. What does our society call women? Exactly, my point. You see you are sensitive to Race, but you probably have never thought about gender or other “categories”. After WWII, Americans started using “names” for all kinds of people. During the Viet Nam conflict, Americans called those “locals” the same names that military personnel called them because it is easier to justify killing when the people you kill are not treated as humans. Yes, of course, what people say and write and do says something about their character, but we don’t need to lock them up because you are offended.
I was thinking more of ostracism from society.
They are threatening the U.S. and archie1954 is concerned about name calling…liiiiibtaaard.
Wow, your idea of “threatening” is very different from mine. It is the US that is provoking China on a regular basis, not the other way around. Every time the US sails close to its borders, flies military craft near its military bases and conspires with its neighbours to surround China with hostile military bases, the Chinese government reacts and what you call “threats” are merely the response to US provocations. Stop watching do much Faux “News”!
The Chinese are a very proud people, and they do not tolerate criticism. On the other hand, most of the comments below don’t seem to credibly see Taiwan for what it has done and been. Do your research and learn about Taiwan. China sees Taiwan as part of its Rights, but they have not invaded. Freedom in China was set aside by the many powerful War Lords. Communism dominated from strength. The excessive population is the primary challenge. China’s interest in the West is based on “what’s in it for us?”