President-elect Trump has used Twitter to defend his engagement with the leader of Taiwan. It is a breach of diplomatic protocol since the US shifted their recognition to China from Taiwan around 40 years back. In a series of evening tweets,Trump groused about criticism that he didn’t work with China ahead of the contact. China considered Taiwan a rogue province.

Trump tweeted, “Did China ask us if it was OK to carry out a number of actions such as build up disputed islands in the South China Sea or take economic measures hurtful to the United States”.

The Taiwanese leader, Tsai Ing-Wen, called Trump to congratulate him on the election, in a call set up by an American third party, Taiwan’s official Central News Agency said that the founder of the Washington-based Heritage Foundation, Edwin Feulner, was a “crucial figure” in setting up communication channels between both sides.

The call has forced an understated complaint from China to the US government. Foreign Minister Wang Yi said that the contact was “just a small trick by Taiwan” which he thought, would not change US policy towards China.

Chinese officials said that they have lodged a complaint with the US and reiterated a commitment of seeking “reunification” with the island, which they considered as a treacherous province.

The call has become the starkest example till date of how Trump has flouted diplomatic conventions since he won the November 8 election. He has undertaken calls from foreign leaders initially without guidance, given by the State Department, which oversees US diplomacy.

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By Prakriti Neogi