Neither Xi Jinping nor Donald Trump are thought to be eager to rush into a phone call © EPA
US President Donald Trump has told Chinese President Xi Jinping that the White House will respect the “One China” policy, in a move that will ease tensions between the powers, according to two people familiar with the call.
In his first conversation with the Chinese leader since entering the Oval Office, Mr Trump said he would abide by the diplomatic formula that Beijing and Taipei agreed in 1992.
Mr Trump had angered China in December by speaking to Tsai Ing-wen, the Taiwanese prime minister, in what was the first conservation between a US president or president-elect and a Taiwanese leader since Washington and Beijing established diplomatic relations in 1979.
The phone call - on Thursday evening Washington time - came one day before Mr Trump will welcome Shinzo Abe, the Japanese prime minister, to the White House. The decision to speak to Mr Xi on the eve of the Trump-Abe summit was designed to reduce the fallout from the lavish welcome planned for the Japanese leader. Mr Abe will dine with Mr Trump four times, fly on Air Force One to the president’s resort in Florida, and play golf with his US counterpart.
Beijing will welcome Mr Trump’s decision to back the “One China” policy, which has been the central principle governing relations between China and Taiwan, which the Chinese communist party regards as a renegade province.
Mr Trump also angered China in December by suggesting after his call with Ms Tsai that he would only support the “One China” policy if China agreed to do some kind of deal on trade with the US.
The conservation between the US and Chinese leaders came just hours after a White House meeting between Mr Trump and Rex Tillerson, his new secretary of state. Two people familiar with the thinking of Mr Tillerson, a former chief executive of Exxon Mobil, said he wanted Mr Trump to back the “One China” policy.
“It's a wise move that sets the basis for Trump and Xi to address the myriad challenges on the US-China agenda. It signals to China that Trump is willing to learn,” said Evan Medeiros, a former top Asia adviser to Barack Obama who is now at Eurasia Group. “Now the rest of Asia is asking: how will Trump deal with China on trade, [the] South China Sea and North Korea. Presidential conversations are the major muscle movement in this relationship and hold the greatest prospect for managing these tough issues. “
Beijing has been concerned about Sino-US relations since Mr Trump started lambasting China during the presidential campaign. But Communist party officials were alarmed when Mr Trump created tension beyond the two powers’ economic relationship by suggesting that his administration would take a different stance on Taiwan.
In his confirmation hearing, Mr Tillerson also angered Beijing by suggesting that the US might try to block Chinese ships from accessing disputed islands in the South China Sea where China has been constructing runways and other facilities that have potential military use. But James Mattis, US defence secretary, appeared to ratchet down the rhetoric during a visit to Japan last week where he suggested that the US military should not take any dramatic moves in the dispute maritime region.
BREAKING: Trump speaks with President Xi of China for first time, says he will respect the longstand
Trump backs One China policy in first call with Xi
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