On Dec. 2, a congratulatory call from Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) to then U.S. President-elect Donald Trump reportedly infuriated China. A phone call between Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) took place on Feb. 10, and the U.S. agreed to honor its “One-China” policy. Commentators have said this contradicts earlier suggestions that Trump may forge closer ties with Taiwan.

“Trump lost his first fight with Xi and he will be looked at as a paper tiger,” Shi Yinhong, a professor of international relations at Renmin University of China, told the New York Times,

Read more:
Trump-Xi Call: Reactions after US Agrees to Honor ‘Our’ One-China Policy
Parsing the Significance of the Tsai-Trump Call
OPINION: 'One China' Dead Before Trump-Tsai Call
Taiwanese Believe They Are a Bargaining Chip for President Trump: Poll

Fresh tension between the U.S., China and Taiwan has emerged in the last few years, and Trump’s administration will have to face this challenge one way or another.

Will Trump turn out to be a paper tiger or not?

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Photo Credit: Stellina Chen

Editor: Olivia Yang