micdotcom:

Donald Trump speaks to Taiwan, says they called him

• President-elect Donald Trump has reportedly spoken on the phone with president of Taiwan Tsai Ing-wen.
• Trump’s transition team confirmed the report through a readout shared with reporters via email.
• The United States has not in 37 years officially acknowledged the government of Taiwan, which China considers a rogue province. 
• Early reports raised concerns that this call could provoke backlash from the Chinese government, and some experts even warned of military aggression.
• An agreement between the United States and China — the so-called “One-China policy” — was formalized by President Jimmy Carter in 1978, with the official closure of the U.S. embassy in Taiwan the following year.
• While the policy is not perfectly observed — and there are certainly unofficial relations between the U.S. and Taiwan — the Financial Times reports that Trump’s call likely marks the first incident of presidential communication with Taiwan since 1979.
• The blog Shanghaiist reports that officials from the Trump Organization have expressed interest in building a series of hotels in Taiwan.
• Trump later stated in two tweets that Tsai Ing-wen “called me,” in all caps, to congratulate him.
• Following the reports, Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi said the call would not alter China-US ties. Read more