Catching China Off Guard

Members Only Subscribe to read the full article

December 9th, 2016 by Dennis Wilder

The December 2^nd phone call between President-elect Donald Trump and Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen is the first such communication between a U.S. president or president-elect and a Taiwanese president since 1979. This poses major questions about the foreign policy direction of the incoming administration and how far it is willing to deviate from established U.S. policy. The Cipher Brief spoke with former Senior Director for East Asian Affairs for President George W. Bush, Dennis Wilder, about the context of the phone call and its regional ramifications.

TCB: President-elect Donald Trump’s call with Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen deviates from decades of precedent for either a president or president-elect. Since then, Chinese officials have been in contact with the transition team. What do we know about Trump’s engagement with the U.S. State Department and intelligence bureaus?

“The Cipher Brief has become the most popular outlet for former intelligence officers; no media outlet is even a close second to The Cipher Brief in terms of the number of articles published by formers.” —Sept. 2018, Studies in Intelligence, Vol. 62

Access all of The Cipher Brief‘s national security-focused expert insight by becoming a Cipher Brief Subscriber+Member.

Continue Reading

Get access to all our briefs

Categorized as:InternationalTagged with:China Taiwan Trump

Featured Piece

Warning Signs of a More Dangerous Global Conflict

BOTTOM LINE UP FRONT — If President Joe Biden’s recent remarks in Poland and President Vladimir Putin’s in Moscow just a day later are any indication of the path forward, the February 24 anniversary of the Russian invasion of Ukraine may represent the beginning of a new and potentially much more dangerous phase of the conflict, which is increasingly looking like a conflict between NATO and the Russian Federation.

FEB 22, 2023, BY ROB DANNENBERG

What the Experts Say

The Cipher Brief’s Open Source Report is an extraordinary product and an important daily read for situational awareness on national security issues.

General John R. Allen (Ret.) Former Commander of the NATO International Security Assistance Force in Afghanistan

I’m proud to be part of the network of experts at The Cipher Brief, which provides superb geopolitical advice and intelligence insights.

Admiral James Stavridis Former Supreme Allied Commander, NATO

The in-depth analysis The Cipher Brief provides, on all issues affecting our national security, written by some of the most senior and knowledgeable public and private sector experts, is truly unique and invaluable. It’s a must read for anyone interested in world affairs.

Ambassador Joseph R. Detrani Former Director, National Counter Proliferation Center

Congratulations to The Cipher Brief for actively promoting a national conversation – through conferences, analysis, and webinars at the highest level – on our country’s national security, intelligence capabilities, and challenges in confronting adversaries and competitors alike.

Emile Nakhleh Former Member, CIA's Senior Intelligence Service

The Cipher Brief has become required reading for national security decision-makers and practitioners. You can be certain that Cipher Brief articles are substantive in content and provide thoughtful analysis from expert professionals.

John Sipher Former Member, CIA's Senior Intelligence Service

The Cipher Brief is far from just another website pontificating about the subjects of the day without any credibility. With The Cipher Brief, you can always be sure that the authors actually know what they are writing about.

Kevin Hulbert Former CIA Chief Of Station

Catching China Off Guard

Continue Reading

The Dirty Tricks Department: A Review

Related Articles

Closing the Gap in US Cruise Missile Defenses

Where Are Six Years of War in Yemen Going?

President Biden’s Middle East: A Briefing with Norman Roule

The Cipher Daily Brief

Search