NEW YORK—President-elect Donald Trump spoke Friday with the president of Taiwan, a move that has turned heads because the Chinese communist regime has tried to isolate the island democracy from the international community.
It is perhaps unprecedented since the United States broke diplomatic ties with Taiwan in 1979 under pressure from the Chinese regime for a U.S. president or president-elect to speak directly with a leader of the self-governing island. Since 1979 the United States has continued to support Taiwan with military sales. China is Taiwan’s only significant military threat.
A statement from Trump’s transition team said he spoke with Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen, who offered her congratulations. It was not clear who initiated the call.
