President-elect Donald Trump again signaled Sunday a willingness to confront Beijing, questioning whether the United States should keep its long-standing position that Taiwan is part of "one China."
"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 said on "Fox News Sunday."
Trump had set off a diplomatic controversy when he took a call from Taiwan's leader. The United States recognizes Taiwan as part of China -- and Chinese officials were furious over the first conversation in decades between a Taiwanese leader and a US President or President-elect.
Trump indicated Sunday he won't hesitate to anger China until the country comes to the bargaining table on trade and severs ties with North Korea.
"I mean, look, we're being hurt very badly by China with devaluation, with taxing us heavy at the borders when we don't tax them, with building a massive fortress in the middle of the South China Sea, which they shouldn't be doing, and frankly with not helping us at all with North Korea," Trump said.
"You have North Korea. You have nuclear weapons, and China could solve that problem, and they're not helping us at all," Trump said. "So, I don't want China dictating to me and this was a call put into me. I didn't make the call, and it was a call, very short call saying 'congratulations, sir, on the victory.'
"It was a very nice call. Short. And why should some other nation be able to say I can't take a call. I think it actually would've been very disrespectful, to be honest with you, not taking it."