Trump fires, China mum
Beijing protests Taiwan call, but refuses to reply to Trump’s tweets
Beijing, Dec. 5: China said on Monday that it “lodged a stern protest” to US President-elect Donal Tump over his telephone call to Taiwanese leader but declined to comment on his tweets over currency devaluation by Beijing and construction of “massive military complex” in the disputed South China Sea.
“The Chinese side in Beijing and Washington lodged solemn representations with the relevant side in the US. The world is very clear on China’s solemn position” on Taiwan, Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Lu Kang told reporters on Monday.
“The US side, including President-elect Trump’s team, is very clear about China’s solemn position on this issue,” he said.
Asked whether China has lodged diplomatic protest with Trump directly, he said, “I think it’s easy to understand 'the relevant side’.”“In fact, China has maintained contacts and communication with the team of President-elect Trump,” he said.
Answering questions, Mr Lu said he would not speculate on what prompted the call, but termed the issue of Taiwan, which China claims as part of its mainland, as the most important and sensitive question between Beijing and Washington.
China is peeved as this is The US side, including Presidentelect Trump’s team, is very clear about China’s solemn position on this issue
Lu Kang the first time a US President-elect has directly spoken to Taiwanese President as Washington follows the One-China policy though it maintains military and political contacts with the breakaway province.
Lu, however, was very cautious and guarded in getting drawn into the twitter fight with Mr Trump over his latest tweets hitting out at Beijing accusing it of currency manipulation and building big military complex in the disputed SCS.
“Did China ask us if it was OK to devalue their currency (making it hard for our companies to compete), heavily tax our products going into their country (the US doesn’t tax them) or to build a massive military complex in the middle of the South China Sea? I don’t think so!” the US-President elect said in a series of tweets, criticising China for the first time over the currency manipulation and South China Sea (SCS) dispute. Chinese foreign ministry spokesman