Incoming U.S. President Donald Trump has once again drawn the ire of China. (Photo : Twitter)
Chinese foreign relations officials warned incoming United States President Donald Trump that he need to be more careful in his pronouncements about international matters to avoid strains in the two countries' relations.
The Foreign Ministry made the statement on Monday following Trump's statements saying that the US does not need to adhere to the "One China" policy, China Daily reported. Trump made the controversial statement on Sunday in an interview with Fox News.
The "One China" policy is a formal agreement between the two countries recognizing China's position that the island of Taiwan is just a province of the former.
Taiwan declared its independence 1949 following a civil war, but China refused to recognize it. The U.S. has adhered to the policy for more than four decades now.
In the interview, Trump questioned the need for the US to stay with the agreement despite not having other agreements in areas like trade. He stressed that his country will only come back to the agreement once China makes significant concessions.
In response, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Geng Shuang said that the incoming Trump administration should fully understand the sensitivity of the Taiwan question before making proclamations.
Geng also said that State Councilor Yang Jiechi has already met with the US President-elect's transitional team to discuss the matter.
Trump's statement comes in just several days after he made a call to Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen, the South China Morning Post reported.
Renmin University of China international relations professor Shi Yinhong said that, should the Trump administration continue with its stance on the One China matter, the mainland could potentially downgrade its current diplomatic relations with the U.S.
China could also take economic actions against America. The former is the U.S.'s largest economic market, as well as holding a large amount of U.S. debt.
