Defiant Trump launches a Twitter tirade at China as he defends his historic phone call with Taiwan's president

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President-elect Donald Trump on Sunday defiantly rejected criticism he received for accepting a congratulatory phone call from the president of Taiwan, a move which angered China in the process as it broke with decades of protocol.

Trump used his favorite medium, Twitter, to insist that he didn't need China's permission to engage the leader of Taiwan, an island which Beijing views as a breakaway province.

The US has not formally recognized Taiwan as an independent state since it re-established diplomatic ties with the communist mainland over 40 years ago.

'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? I don't think so!' Trump tweeted on Sunday.

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President-elect Donald Trump (left) accepted a congratulatory phone call from the Taiwanese leader, Tsai Ing-Wen (right), on Friday, sparking controversy over a breach of protocol

The Taiwanese leader, Tsai Ing-Wen, called Trump Friday to congratulate him on the election in a call set up by an American third party.

Taiwan's official Central News Agency, citing anonymous sources on Saturday, said that Edwin Feulner, founder of the Washington-based Heritage Foundation, was a 'crucial figure' in setting up communication channels between the sides.

Trump turned heads when he accepted the call from Tsai, whom he referred to on Twitter as the 'President of Taiwan,' hinting to the world that he may upend the 37-year-old policy in which the United States recognizes Beijing as the seat of Chinese power, while having no official diplomatic relations with the island of Taiwan.

Both Taiwan and Beijing have claims on the same territory so foreign countries, like the United States, cannot recognize both.

Trump defended himself on Twitter late Sunday by denouncing Chinese policies on trade and its military actions in the South China Sea

'Did China ask us if it was OK to devalue their currency, tax our products or build a massive military complex in the South China Sea? I don't think so!' the president-elect tweeted

The United States recognizes Beijing, but sells arms to Taiwan, in an effort to protect a fellow democracy.

While Trump remained defiant, top members of his inner circle were interviewed on television, defending their boss and insisting that there was no harm intended in taking the call.

Vice President-elect Mike Pence and top Trump aide Kellyanne Conway were on message Sunday morning when talking about the controversial call.

'Well, I think the conversation that happened this week with the president in Taiwan was a courtesy call,' the vice president-elect said on NBC's 'Meet the Press.'

Vice President-elect Mike Pence (left) and Donald Trump's campaign manger Kellyanne Conway (right) took to the Sunday shows to defend Trump's conversation Friday with the president of Taiwan 

'It was just a phone call at this point,' Conway echoed during an interview with Chris Wallace on 'Fox News Sunday.'

'She reached out to the president-elect and he took the call from the democratically-elected leader of Taiwan and it's one of more than 50 telephone calls that the president-elect has taken from and made to world leaders in the midst of a historic pace in cabinet appointments and senior appointments, building a legislative agenda, even traveling the country and saving a thousand jobs in the state of Indiana,' Pence said.

Conway made the same point.

'He accepted a congratulatory call from the president of Taiwan, that marks probably the 40th or 50th world leader that has reached out to the president-elect or the vice president-elect Mike Pence since they won the election last month,' she said.

Vice President-elect Mike Pence (left) told Chuck Todd (right) not to expect Donald Trump to calm the waters this week by reaching out to the Chinese 

'Meet the Press' host Chuck Todd asked Pence if accepting the call was meant to be an intentional message to the Chinese, who have already complained about the conversation between the Taiwanese leader and the president-elect.

'No. Chuck, this was a courtesy call of the democratically-elected president of Taiwan. And a call to congratulate the president-elect,' Pence said.

Trying to pin Pence down, Todd mentioned how upset the Chinese were over this call and asked him what his advice would be to his counterparts in China.

'I think I would just say to our counterparts in China that this was a moment of courtesy,' Pence said.

'The president-elect talked to President Xi two weeks ago in the same manner that was not a discussion about policy,' Pence continued.

'And we're going to be preparing after January 20th to advance now what will be President Trump's agenda on the world stage and we'll deal with policy at that time,' the vice president-elect added.

Pence also said he didn't expect Trump to call the Chinese this week to calm the waters.

Conway suggested the real policy talk should be left until after inauguration as well.

'But the president-elect's perspective is he accepted a congratulatory call and when he's sworn in as president and commander-in-chief in a little over a month Chris, he will make clear what the fullness of his plans are,' Trump's campaign manager said.