Trump Speaks to Taiwan Leader in Move Likely to Offend China
- Taiwan president ‘called me,’ Trump says in Twitter post
- China considers island nation to be a renegade province
This article is for subscribers only.
President-elect Donald Trump spoke Friday by phone with Taiwan President Tsai Ing-Wen in an unprecedented move that’s sure to provoke China, which regards the country as a renegade province.
Trump’s transition team sent a statement saying that Taiwan’s president congratulated Trump on his victory and the two “noted the close economic, political and security ties” between the nations. The statement didn’t indicate if the call presaged a shift in longstanding U.S. policy against recognizing Taiwan’s sovereignty or allowing direct communication between top leaders. The call lasted more than 10 minutes, Taiwan’s presidential office said in an e-mailed statement.