Story highlights David Andelman: Throughout his career, Donald Trump has rolled the dice to see just how far he could push a foe

But with China, the stakes are far broader and deeper, Andelman says

David A. Andelman, editor emeritus of World Policy Journal and a member of the board of contributors of USA Today, is the author of "A Shattered Peace: Versailles 1919 and the Price We Pay Today." The opinions expressed in this commentary are his.

(CNN) Just in case Donald Trump missed the signals from Beijing about how significant it views any tilt toward Taiwan, China flew a nuclear-capable Xian H-6 bomber into the South China Sea this weekend, then had one of its trusted newspapers point out that ditching the 40-year-old "one China" policy would touch off "a real crisis."

David A. Andelman

The latest messages from Beijing were a direct response to comments from the President-elect on Sunday that "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." Since the United States first opened relations with the communist government on the mainland in 1979, relations between the two powers have been conducted with the understanding that Taiwan was a province of a single China. Anything less was quite simply unacceptable.

Throughout his career, Donald Trump has been, often quite literally, rolling the dice — seeing just how far he could push a foe to get what he really wants. Still, this time, before we embark on a game of chicken with China, it might be a good idea to think about who has the most to lose. The stakes are far broader and deeper than a single business deal or trade pact.

What the President-elect also needs to recognize is the fragile nature of China itself that makes Taiwan and the "one China" policy so vitally important to its survival.

Eight-thousand miles from New York, Taiwan looks to be just another little chess piece off the coast of the Asian mainland. But for China, Taiwan and its status is an existential issue.

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