China seems inclined to give Trump time to settle in

DESPITE the uproar in the United States over President-elect Donald Trump's precedent-shattering Dec 2 phone call with Tsai Ing-wen, the President of Taiwan, the Chinese government has been restrained. On Sunday, Mr Trump went further and publicly questioned the need for the US to continue its "one China" policy, adopted since the 1970s.

The Chinese foreign ministry's initial response to the phone call was to say that it had "noted the report" and had "lodged solemn representations" with the US. But there were no charges of bad faith or of "hurting the feelings of the Chinese people".

However, when asked the same day about the possibility that the US Congress might authorise military exchanges between Taiwan and American officials, the Chinese reaction was different.