Trump stays on defensive after call with Taiwan president

President-elect Donald Trump defended his call to the Taiwanese president in a sequence of tweets Sunday, a breach of diplomatic protocol as the U.S. shifted popularity from Taiwan to China almost 40 years in the past.

"Did China ask us if it turned into good enough to carry out a number of actions such as building up disputed islands inside the South China Sea or take financial measures hurtful to america," Trump tweeted.

Taiwan President Tsai Ing-Wen known as Trump Friday to congratulate him on the election in a name installation with the aid of an American third birthday celebration. Taiwan's authentic central information business enterprise, bringing up nameless assets on Saturday, stated that Edwin Feulner, founding father of the Washington-based background foundation, turned into a "essential determine" in putting in place conversation channels between the edges.

the call reputedly irked China, prompting Beijing to ship a complaint to the U.S. authorities. foreign Minister Wang Yi said Saturday that the contact changed into "only a small trick through Taiwan" that he believed might not alternate U.S. coverage in the direction of China, in line with Hong Kong's Phoenix tv.

"the only-China coverage is the cornerstone of the wholesome improvement of China-U.S. relations and we hope this political basis will now not be interfered with or damaged," Wang changed into quoted as announcing. chinese officers said they lodged a grievance with the U.S. and reiterated a commitment to looking for "reunification" with the island, which they keep in mind a renegade province.

Trump’s pinnacle aides defended the call earlier Sunday.

Senior adviser KellyAnne Conway stated on “Fox news Sunday” that it changed into “just a cellphone name.”

“President-pick Trump isn't always obtainable making coverage or policy prescriptions,” she introduced.

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Conway stated Trump is “fully aware of the only China policy” and that he's mechanically briefed with the aid of foreign policy and navy professionals, amid reports he doesn’t take daily nation department briefings.

vp-select Mike Pence instructed NBC’s “Meet the press” that the call shouldn’t always be taken into consideration a shift in U.S. policy. He shrugged off the attention to the incident as media hype.

"It became a courtesy call," Pence delivered.

Over the decades, the fame of Taiwan has been one of the most sensitive problems in U.S.-China relations. China regards Taiwan as part of its territory to be retaken by means of force, if essential, if it seeks independence. it might regard any popularity of a Taiwanese chief as a head of country as unacceptable.

Taiwan split from the chinese language mainland in 1949. The U.S. policy acknowledges the chinese language view over sovereignty, however considers Taiwan's reputation as unsettled.

Ned fee, a spokesman for the White house countrywide security Council, said Trump's conversation does not signal any exchange to long-standing U.S. coverage on pass-strait problems. yet the cellphone communication induced blended reactions.

Taiwanese newspapers ran banner headlines Sunday about the call, and  stated on their front pages Sunday that Trump stated Tsai as "the president of Taiwan," a formula that could be a large shift in American coverage and infuriate China.

The Taiwanese presidential office stated Trump and Tsai discussed troubles affecting Asia and the destiny of U.S. members of the family with Taiwan. Tsai also told Trump that she was hoping the U.S. would help Taiwan in its participation in global affairs, the workplace said, in an apparent connection with China's efforts to isolate Taiwan from worldwide establishments such as the United nations.

Taiwan's presidential office spokesman, Alex Huang, stated one by one that Taiwan's family members with China and "healthy" Taiwan-U.S. relations can proceed in parallel. "there's no battle" in that, he stated.

China's foreign ministry said Beijing lodged "solemn representations" with the U.S. over the decision.

"It should be pointed out that there may be only one China inside the world and Taiwan is an inseparable a part of chinese language territory," Geng Shuang, a ministry spokesman, said in a announcement. "The authorities of the people's Republic of China is the sole legitimate government representing China."