Trump doubles down in weekend attacks on China following Taiwan call

US president-elect Donald Trump has aimed a volley of attacks towards China after being criticised for breaking decades of presidential convention by taking a call from Taiwanese leader Tsai Ing-wen on Friday.

In what is increasingly becoming the Republican's favoured platform to vent his feelings, Twitter was Trump's chosen media by which to fire back at Chinese authorities, which referred to his "inexperience in dealing with foreign powers" after it emerged of his conversation with Taiwan.

The call was a first by a US president since diplomatic recognition was switched from Taiwan to China in 1979, acknowledging the region as part of "one China".

Trump responded to Chinese criticism of him by firing a number of shots relating to the country's currency, tax policies and exploits 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 their country (the US doesn't tax them) or to build a massive military complex in the middle of the South China Sea?" Trump tweeted. "I don't think so!"

On Sunday, vice president-elect Mike Pence also defended Trump's decision to take the call, referring to the diplomatic row as a "tempest in a teapot".

The use of the term "president" by Pence to describe the Taiwanese leader has particularly irked the Chinese, as it views the region as part of its own territory without a recognisable president.