Trump speaks to Taiwan president, risks ties with China

By Esra Kaymak Avci

WASHINGTON (AA) – President-elect Donald Trump spoke Friday with Taiwan’s President Tsai Ing-Wen, breaking with a decades-long U.S. policy in Asia regarding ties with China.

"During the discussion, they noted the close economic, political, and security ties exists between Taiwan and the United States," according to a statement from the Trump transition team.

It's the first publicly reported telephone call between a U.S. president or president-elect and the Taiwan leader since Washington established diplomatic relations with China in 1979, media reports said.

Trump will take the oath of office Jan. 20.

The call could threaten U.S. ties with China as Beijing considers Taiwan its own province. Since 1979, the U.S. has accepted the One China Policy that considers Taiwan part of China.

After reports of the conversation were published, Trump tweeted that the Taiwanese president called to congratulate him on his election victory.

"Interesting how the U.S. sells Taiwan billions of dollars of military equipment but I should not accept a congratulatory call," he said in a separate tweet.

Trump's former campaign manager turned senior advisor, Kellyanne Conway, said her boss was aware of the implications of the call from the Taiwanese president.

"He either will disclose or not disclose the full contents of that conversation but he's well aware of what U.S. policy has been," Conway told CNN.

China's state-run CCTV issued a statement that said Trump made an “unprecedented break” with the One China Policy, according to media reports.