Donald Trump has shattered decades of diplomatic protocol by announcing he will speak directly to Taiwan's president, a move that threatens to ignite a fresh crisis in US-China relations. The former president’s pledge, made without consultation with the State Department, risks upending the delicate balance that has preserved peace across the Taiwan Strait since 1979.
The promise, delivered during a campaign rally in Ohio, drew immediate condemnation from Beijing, which views Taiwan as a breakaway province. The Chinese foreign ministry warned that any such contact would be a violation of the One-China principle and would have serious consequences.
This unscripted foreign policy shift is a gift to China hawks but a nightmare for those who remember the 1995–96 Taiwan Strait crisis triggered by a similar visit from Taiwan’s leader. The stakes could not be higher for American workers, given China’s role as a major export market and holder of US debt.
For Manchester textile workers or Detroit autoworkers, a trade war sparked by this gaffe could mean factory closures. Trump’s rhetoric, designed to project strength, may instead weaken the very economic security he promises to restore.
Critics on both sides of the Atlantic have called the move reckless. The UK Foreign Office declined to comment, but a senior European diplomat described it as a loaded gun pointed at global stability.
As the White House remains silent, markets are jittery. The price of bread on our tables may soon depend on whether this call is a one-off stunt or the start of a new, dangerous chapter.
