[quote]Donald Trump’s protocol-breaking telephone call with Taiwan’s leader was an intentionally provocative move that establishes the incoming
president as a break with the past, according to interviews with people involved in the planning.[/quote]
There’s the point. One of them, anyway. Bubbette ran as the continuation of the status quo, and The Donald ran as… not the status quo.
The other point is psychological warfare against the Beijing regime. He’s pushing their buttons to make them look bad, limiting their options for excusing any belligerence. Now they’ll have to be on good behavior… or else say screw world opinion and go grab Taiwan without any excuses.
I imagine them saying this with a knowing smirk… If you object to the call, you’re forced to explain just what’s wrong with it… and that’s a discussion his critics don’t want to have. It’s technically a lie, but really he’s trolling people He does that a lot - in case you haven’t picked up on that.
I wonder if Trump will use Taiwan as leverage to get concessions out of China. Would a Trump administration recognize Taiwan as part of China in exchange for something from Beijing?
Exhibit A: massive levels of pollution, litter, ugly architecture, etc.
Exhibit B: death-spiral fertility rates.
On the latter, I occasionally ask Taiwanese if they love Taiwan. Reflexively, they answer that they do. At that point I ask them why they don’t have any kids. Unless they’re talking about the physical rock that is Taiwan, but then, see Exhibit A above…