Then-nominee for Secretary of State Rex Tillerson suggested the idea of blocking China’s access to the artificial islands China has recently built in the South China Sea. Not long after, then-President Elect Trump repeated his thought that the “One China” policy of the U.S. could be opened to negotiation. “One China” means the U.S. does not formally recognize Taiwan as a separate country. China responded to Mr. Tillerson’s comments with back-channel diplomatic expressions of concern. To Mr. Trump’s notion on “One China”, China’s foreign ministry responded overtly and publicly with “non-negotiable”. Hard to imagine a more focused reply. The rhetoric escalates.

Stay tuned. Is the U.S. administration bluffing, creating a diversion or just stumbling unawares into a diplomatic imbroglio? At the very least, they certainly have China’s attention.