Trump’s Taiwan call seen pre-empting Chinese provocation early in his administration

Vice President-elect Mike Pence dismissed criticism of President-elect Donald Trump for the call to the Taiwan president as ‘mystifying.’

 

Did Donald Trump beat China to the punch?

The President-elect’s interaction with Taiwan’s president was seen by some observers as a pre-emptive hit on Beijing, which some analysts suggested was intent on delivering a testing Trump early in his administration.

Are Chinese arms about to flood into Iran as nuke deal takes effect?

A more worrisome, but overlooked, aspect of China’s growing ties with Iran could occur in the arms sector. A bit of historical context is needed here. In the 1980s and early 1990s, China was a major supplier of advanced weapons to Iran in areas ranging from tanks and fighter jets to fast-attack patrol craft and anti-ship missiles. Beijing was driven not only by profit motivations, but also, it seems, by a strategic desire to strengthen Iran as a bulwark against excessive U.S. influence in the Middle East.