Trump’s Taiwan chat may be bad call

President-elect flouts diplomatic conventions and risks incurring China’s wrath.

United States President-elect Donald Trump spoke yesterday with the president of Taiwan, a move that will be sure to anger China.

It is highly unusual, probably unprecedented, for a US president or president-elect to speak directly with a leader of Taiwan, a selfgoverning island the US broke diplomatic ties with in 1979.

Washington has pursued a socalled ‘‘one China’’ policy since 1979, when it shifted diplomatic recognition of China from the government in Taiwan to the communist government on the mainland. Under that policy, the US recognises Beijing as representing China but retains unofficial ties with Taiwan.

A statement from Trump’s transition team said he spoke with Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen, who offered her congratulations for his election victory.

‘‘During the discussion, they noted the close economic, political, and security ties . . . between Taiwan and the United States. President-elect Trump also congratulated President Tsai on becoming President of Taiwan earlier this year,’’ the statement said.

Trump tweeted later: ‘‘The President of Taiwan CALLED ME today to wish me congratulations on winning the Presidency. Thank you!’’

The Taiwanese presidential office said Trump and Tsai discussed issues affecting Asia and the future of US relations with Taiwan. ‘‘The [Taiwanese] president is looking forward to strengthening bilateral interactions and contacts as well as setting up closer cooperative relations.’’

The White House learned of the conversation after it had taken place, said a senior Obama administration official.

China’s embassy in Washington, DC did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The call is the starkest example yet of how Trump has flouted diplomatic conventions since he won the November 8 election. He has apparently held calls with foreign leaders without guidance customarily Department, diplomacy.

Trump was ‘‘well aware’’ of what US policy had been on Taiwan, his spokeswoman Kellyanne Conway said.

Tsai was democratically elected in January and took office in May. The traditional independenceleaning policies of her party have strained relations with Beijing.

Over the decades, the status of Taiwan has been one of the most lent by the State which oversees US sensitive relations.

China regards Taiwan as part of its territory to be retaken by force, if necessary, if it seeks independence. It would regard any recognition of a Taiwanese leader as a head of state as unacceptable.

Ned Price, a spokesman for the White House National Security Council, said Trump’s conversation did not signal any change to long-standing US policy on ‘‘crossstrait’’ issues. issues in US-China