Chinese media outlets have lashed out at Donald Trump

IT SEEMS Donald Trump has gone out of his way to make waves with China, and judging by their response, all will not be forgiven.

CHINA’S press agencies have lashed out at Donald Trump in the wake of his controversial phone call with Taiwan’s President earlier this week.

Comment pieces published on China’s state media channels have lambasted the President-elect in response to a series of tweets he issued on Sunday, which slammed China for devaluing the United States’ currency and building military installations in the South China Sea.

Did China ask us if it was OK to devalue their currency (making it hard for our companies to compete), heavily tax our products going into..

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 4, 2016

their country (the U.S. doesn't tax them) or to build a massive military complex in the middle of the South China Sea? I don't think so!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 4, 2016

In a scathing editorial, the China Daily deemed Mr Trump a “rookie” who “needs help” in his transition to the White House.

“Trump may dislike, distrust the diplomatic establishment in Washington DC, and aspire to rework US foreign policies,” the paper wrote.

“But he should first come to terms with the real, not imagined, reality of international relations before wielding the scalpel, because a misstep as president will be far more damaging than one as president-elect.

“To stop acting like the diplomatic rookie he is, the next US president needs help in adapting to his forthcoming role change. Otherwise, he will make costly troubles for his country, and find himself trying to bluster his way through constant diplomatic conflagrations.”

It said Mr Trump could expect to be forgiven as he makes his transition, but warned Beijing would be less conciliatory once he officially becomes President.

Evidently China isn’t taking this lightly.

Meanwhile, the People’s Daily blasted the phone call with Taiwanese president Tsai Ing-wen as “despicable in nature”, saying it not only violated the “One China” policy, but broke a tradition that sat at “the heart of China-US ties”.

The piece, written by Hua Yiwen, warns that stirring up tensions with China through such actions will do nothing to help America.

“Trump and his transition team should realise that making trouble for China-US ties is making troubles for themselves,” writes Yiwen. “Trump’s campaign slogan was ‘Make America Great Again’. However, considering the size and increasing mutual reliance of both countries, creating troubles for China won’t make the US ‘great’.

“Instead, such petty actions will only damage mutual trust and future co-operation, doing the US more harm than good. Making China an enemy will actually block America’s path to future greatness.”

China wasn’t too pleased with Donald Trump’s phone call to Taiwan’s president Tsai Ing-wen.

Lastly, the Global Times — well-known for its lack of subtlety — blasted the President-elect for “throwing a tantrum against China” on Twitter.

It accused Mr Trump of contradicting his pledge to take a more isolationist stance on foreign affairs in the lead-up to the election, saying it “appears inevitable” that the relationship between the two countries will only grow more troubled as time goes on.

It even suggests impending conflict is not out of the question, saying: “We must be fully prepared, both mentally and physically, for this scenario.”

“China should brace itself for the possible fluctuations of the Sino-US relationship after Trump is sworn in. We must confront Trump’s provocations head-on, and make sure he won’t take advantage of China at the beginning of his tenure.

“This initial period will set the foundation for the Sino-US relationship in the next four years.”

Mr Trump’s controversial phone call to Ms Tsai prompted China’s foreign ministry to lodge a complaint with the United States.

China’s Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang issued a statement saying: “We have noticed relevant reports and lodged solemn representation with the relevant side in the United States.

“I must point out that there is only one China in the world and Taiwan is an inseparable part of the Chinese territory ... The ‘one China’ principle is the political foundation of China-US relations.

“We urge the relevant side in the US to adhere to the ‘one China’ policy, abide by the pledges in the three joint China-US communiques, and handle issues related to Taiwan carefully and properly to avoid causing unnecessary interference to the overall China-US relationship.”

It remains yet to be seen exactly how Mr Trump will navigate America’s relationship with China as he enters the White House.

His ascension to the top job has had an unsettling impact on the country, but experts say the rising superpower is likely to lay low until his unpredictable position is made more apparent.