Trump Affirms One-China Policy in Call With Xi

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In The Media

Trump Affirms One-China Policy in Call With Xi

After a period of uncertainty, the Trump administration is now pursuing a more pragmatic policy toward China, at least with regards to the One China policy.

By Douglas H. Paal

Published on Feb 11, 2017

Source: CGTN

Speaking on CGTN, Carnegie’s Douglas H. Paal evaluated the prospects of future U.S.-China cooperation now that President Donald Trump has announced that he will honor the “One China” policy.

Paal welcomed the recent call between Trump and President Xi Jinping as a significant step toward stabilizing the U.S.-China after an initial period of uncertainty. He noted that if the previous Trump administration policy of openly questioning the One China policy were to continue, it would be impossible for Xi to have a constructive relationship with Trump.

The United States has now pursued a more pragmatic approach, said Paal, which matches the Chinese posture of flexibility and adaptability that Xi has adopted in the wake of Trump’s surprise election victory last November.

Paal praised the diplomacy of China’s top two “America watchers”—Yang Jiechi and Cui Tiankai—calling their efforts highly effective.

Moving forward, Paal predicted that future cooperation will depend on Trump’s perception of whether China is willing to significantly adjust trade and investment patterns to create jobs in the United States.

This interview was originally broadcast on CGTN.

About the Author

Douglas H. Paal

Distinguished Fellow, Asia Program

Paal previously served as vice chairman of JPMorgan Chase International and as unofficial U.S. representative to Taiwan as director of the American Institute in Taiwan.

Recent Work

Paper
America’s Future in a Dynamic Asia
- Douglas H. Paal
Q&A
U.S.-China Relations at the Forty-Year Mark
- +1
  Douglas H. Paal, Tong Zhao, Chen Qi, …

Economy Trade Foreign Policy North America United States East Asia China Taiwan

Carnegie India does not take institutional positions on public policy issues; the views represented herein are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of Carnegie, its staff, or its trustees.

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