Final answer:
The 'three direct links' refer to the One China policy where the PRC claims sovereignty over mainland China, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Macau, and Tibet. This policy has major implications for international relations, especially with the United States, and ties into issues of economic trade, Taiwan's status, and human rights concerns.
Step-by-step explanation:
The "three direct links" referring to the establishment of One China signify the overarching principle that there is only a single sovereign state under the name China that includes mainland China, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Macau, and Tibet. This policy was initially asserted by Beijing following the civil war that led to the establishment of the People's Republic of China (PRC) on October 1, 1949, after the Nationalists fled to Taiwan. The One China policy implies that the PRC is the only legitimate government of China and that Taiwan is part of China, a stance not accepted by the Taiwanese government. Since the establishment of the PRC, there has been ongoing diplomatic tension regarding Taiwan's status, further complicated by international relations, especially with the United States which for a period recognized Taiwan as the "real" China. Economic trade, contested status of Taiwan, and human rights are central issues in Chinese-American relations, illustrating the complex interdependence the two countries share. Leadership in China might view modern economic initiatives as a continuation of the legacy of the older Silk Roads to bolster national pride and to emphasize the idea of China as a longstanding major economic power.