Trump to consult with 'friend' Xi before speaking to Taiwan

With Sino-US relations appearing to get cozier with frequent consultations between leaders of the two sides, U.S. President Donald Trump has expressed his desire to consult with Chinese President Xi Jinping before speaking to Taiwan's leadership.

In a recent interview, Trump said he wouldn't want to "cause difficulty" for the Chinese leader by again breaking with the "one China" policy, reports the CNN.

"He's a friend of mine. He's actually a -- I think he's doing an amazing job as a leader, and I wouldn't want to do anything that comes in the way of that. So, I would certainly want to speak to him first," Trump said in praise of the Chinese leader.

This is in contrast to the friction caused between Washington and Beijing after the newly-elected President Trump accepted a congratulatory phone call from Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen.

As China protested and launched an official complaint, Trump tweeted: "Interesting how the U.S. sells Taiwan billions of dollars of military equipment but I should not accept a congratulatory call."

Before the call, no US President or President-elect had spoken directly to the Taiwanese leader since the 1970s, as China does not recognize Taiwan's independence, and under the "one China" policy the US has a long tradition of respecting that stance.

Xi and Trump held their first meeting in April at Trump's Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida. Since then, the two leaders have discussed the tensions in the Korean Peninsula twice over phone call, the recent on April 24.

According to analysts, eager to stop rapid advances in North Korea's nuclear and ballistic missile programs, Trump is signaling a break with decades of US policy as he looks to commit China to ramping up pressure on North Korea.