03 May 2017

News Story: Beijing gloats over Trump Taiwan snub

China on Friday praised US president Donald Trump's snub of Taiwan, noting that observers had called his decision not to take a second call from the island's president a "slap in the face".

Trump rattled China in December after taking a congratulatory call from the self-ruling island's new Beijing-sceptic president Tsai Ing-wen after his election, smashing decades of diplomatic precedent.

But after Tsai suggested another call could take place in an interview with Reuters Thursday, Trump said he did not want to risk his newfound "personal relationship" with China's president Xi Jinping.

"I think he's doing an amazing job as a leader and I wouldn't want to do anything that comes in the way of that. So I would certainly want to speak to him first," Trump told Reuters in a separate interview.

China "has noted the US reaction," foreign ministry spokesman Geng Shuang told reporters during a regular press briefing, adding that online commenters "believe it's a slap in the face for Tsai Ing-wen".

"China always opposes that those with whom we've established diplomatic relations develop any formal or official exchanges with the Taiwanese side," he added.

Ties between Trump and Xi seem to have warmed recently after they met at Trump's Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida earlier this month.

Read the full story at SinoDaily