China should stay calm if Trump makes any sudden last moves, analysts say

The US president could take further action on Taiwan to antagonise Beijing as the clock counts down to Biden’s inauguration

But Beijing is unlikely to want retaliation to mar the start of relations with the new US administration, observer says

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With just days to go until his term is over, US President Donald Trump could make a final move on Taiwan, observers say. Photo: AFP

Published: 10:00pm, 9 Jan 2021Updated: 10:00pm, 9 Jan 2021

Beijing should be prepared for but also restrained in response to any unexpected hardline moves by US President Donald Trump against China, especially on Taiwan, in his last days in office, Chinese observers said.

With just over a week to go until president-elect Joe Biden’s inauguration, Trump finally said on Thursday that he was committing to an “orderly transition”.

The statement came after his supporters stormed the US Congress on Wednesday, leading to deaths and chaos on Capitol Hill.

But tensions between the Trump administration and Beijing have continued to flare, with the US threatening to impose new sanctions on Hong Kong and mainland China over the arrest of more than 50 opposition politicians in a dawn raid last week.

In response, Beijing issued a new order on Saturday prohibiting firms from complying with foreign laws banning transactions with Chinese companies and individuals.

And on Monday, the New York Stock Exchange will delist US-traded shares of China Telecom, China Mobile and China Unicom to comply with an executive order signed by Trump.

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