by
Hans Izaak Kriek*
During the discussion, they noted the close economic, political, and security ties between Taiwan and the United States. Trump also congratulated Tsai on becoming President of Taiwan earlier this year.
The Chinese government was not amused; the message to Trump was: “The Chinese leadership will see this as highly provocative action, of historic proportions.” The media said ‘It’s a sharp breach with protocol, but it’s also just the sort that underscores how weird and incomprehensible some important protocols are’.
A lot of reactions and criticism followed the phone call. People’s Republic of China’s foreign ministry said it has lodged a complaint with the US over the controversial phone call between President-elect Trump and Taiwan’s President that has overturned decades of diplomatic protocol. For Mainland China Taiwan is a renegade province and, since 1979, the US has acknowledged Beijing's claim that Taiwan is part of China, with US-China relations governed by a set of protocols known as the "one China" policy.
This means there are no formal diplomatic relations between the United States and Taiwan -so Trump's decision to take Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen's call could risk a major upset. Trump reacted right away with a remarkable Tweet: ‘Interesting how the U.S. sells Taiwan billions of dollars of military equipment but I should not accept a congratulatory call’.
The European leaders frustrated and afraid
European leaders are also not amused about the outcome of the election of Donald Trump. Donald Tusk, president of the European Council and Jean-Claude Juncker, president of the European commission, said about Trump: “We are seeking reassurance on key issues on which Trump’s remarks on the campaign trial have rattled European leaders, including migration, climate change and Russia’s threat to Ukraine”. EU top officials have invited Trump to Europe for an urgent US-EU summit. They said: ” The American vote’s are a protest vote similar to Brexit. It began timidly, but this is like a wave, a wave of protest that lead to Trump in the White House.”
The as usual hysterical Guy Verhofstadt, the Europhile Liberal leader in the European Parliament and EP’s Brexit negotiator, said that Donald Trump is a clown. And: Trump, Putin and Erdogan are a ‘ring of autocrats trying to destroy Europe’. Followed by:
“Not only do they like each other, they also have one thing in common, bashing and destroying our way of thinking, our values, our European liberal democracy.”Mr Verhofstadt also warned of a “fifth column”, active in Europe and made up of “cronies” of Mr Erdogan, Mr Putin and Mr Trump who he said were undermining Europe from within. He described them as “old puppets of Putin and the new puppets of Trump” as he called on the continent to “fight back”.
In my opinion Mr. Verhofstadt needs to realise he is out of his mind, some modesty and humility would suit him. Trump was elected by the American voters. In Europe, the dominoes are already lined up: after the Italy referendum for next year's elections in France, Germany and The Netherlands. It is Revolution, the revolution of ordinary people!
*Hans Izaak Kriek is political commentator for European Business Review and editor-in-chief of Kriek Media
By: N. Peter Kramer
