US President-elect Donald Trump has said the United States does not necessarily have to stick to its long-standing position that Taiwan is part of "one China," questioning nearly four decades of policy in a move angering Beijing.
Trump's comments on "Fox News Sunday" came after he prompted a diplomatic protest from China over his decision to accept a telephone call from Taiwan's president on December 2.
"I fully understand the 'one China' policy, but I don't know why we have to be bound by a 'one China' policy unless we make a deal with China having to do with other things, including trade," Trump told Fox.
Trump's call with President Tsai Ing-wen was the first such contact with Taiwan by a US president-elect or president since President Jimmy Carter switched diplomatic recognition from Taiwan to China in 1979, acknowledging Taiwan as part of "one China".
Beijing considers Taiwan a renegade province and the subject is a sensitive one for China.
On Monday China said that it had "serious concern" about Trump's comments concerning Taiwan, and warned that any changes to how America deals with the self-governing island could damage diplomatic ties between Washington and Beijing.
Geng Shuang, a spokesman for China's foreign ministry, said that established policy is the "political foundation" of any diplomatic relationship between China and the US, and that any damage to it could render cooperation between both sides to be "out of the question.
"We urge the new US leader and government to fully understand the seriousness of the Taiwan issue, and to continue to stick to the one-China policy," Geng said.
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