China’s official reaction has so far been restrained, but teeth are being firmly gritted in Beijing. Like the rest of the world, Xi Jinping’s government has not yet decided whether Trump is being deliberately confrontational or is simply out of his depth. Beijing initially blamed the Taiwanese for “tricking” Trump into talking to President Tsai Ing-wen – the first acknowledged contact at this level for nearly 40 years. But it has emerged that Tsai kept quiet about the call, expecting it to remain private (as has been usual in the past). It was Trump who bragged about it in public, embarrassing the Chinese. Read more
