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
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