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Trump breaks US stance with direct Taiwan call | Trump breaks US stance with direct Taiwan call |
(35 minutes later) | |
US President-elect Donald Trump has spoken directly with the president of Taiwan - breaking with US policy set in 1979 when formal relations were cut. | US President-elect Donald Trump has spoken directly with the president of Taiwan - breaking with US policy set in 1979 when formal relations were cut. |
Mr Trump's transition team said he and Tsai Ing-wen noted "close economic, political, and security ties" between the US and Taiwan in a phone call. | |
The move risks angering China, which sees Taiwan as a breakaway province. | |
China has hundreds of missiles pointing towards the island, and has threatened to take it by force if necessary. | |
Beijing has so far made no public comment on the latest development. | Beijing has so far made no public comment on the latest development. |
Mr Trump's team also said that the president-elect "congratulated" Ms Tsai on becoming the president of Taiwan in January's elections. | |
The 59-year-old, Taiwan's first female leader, led the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) to a landslide victory in the poll. | |
The DPP has traditionally leaned towards independence from China. | |
Tsai Ing-wen, Taiwan's shy but steely leader | |
Washington cut formal diplomatic ties with Taiwan in 1979, expressing its support for Beijing's "One China" policy. China has offered a "one country, two systems" solution, like Hong Kong, to the dispute. | |
However, the US maintains friendly non-official relations with Taiwan. |