Chinese state media call Donald Trump a 'diplomatic rookie'

'We must confront Trump's provocation head on'

Mr Trump tweeted over the weekend to admonish China for devaluing its currency (AP)

Chinese state media has branded US President-elect Donald Trump a "diplomatic rookie" after he complained about the country's economic and military policy on Twitter.

Mr Trump, who vowed he would label China a currency manipulator during his campaign, sent a series of tweets on Sunday.

"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 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!" he said.

However, Mr Trump has since been attacked by Chinese state-run media, which has accused him of having "tantrums" and blamed his controversial call with the president of Taiwan on "foreign policy inexperience".

"Provoking friction and messing up China-US relations won't help 'make America great again,'" a front-page opinion piece in The People's Daily, a Communist Party mouthpiece, read.

The Chinese edition of The Global Times warned of Mr Trump's "inability to keep his mouth shut" and his "provocation and falsehoods".

Similarly, the English China Daily warned the President-elect could create "costly troubles for his country" and called him a "diplomatic rookie".

The Global Times' English-language edition filled its opinions pages with editorials slamming the President-elect.

An editorial in the paper warned that Mr Trump "can make a lot of noise but that does not exempt him from the rules of the major power game," adding that he "doesn't have sufficient resources" to be provocative with China.

"Trump's China-bashing tweet is just a cover for his real intent, which is to treat China as a fat lamb and cut a piece of meat off it," it said, adding: "We must confront Trump's provocation head on."

A companion commentary warned that Mr Trump "will in time learn not to cross China", threatening "a fierce competition" with Beijing if the US increases arm sales to Taiwan.

It was illustrated by an editorial cartoon showing an eagle throwing pebbles at a large, scowling panda.

The barrage of attacks come after a muted official response, with the foreign ministry declining to comment on the motivation behind the outburst.

Mr Trump was also mocked by Chinese social media users for "running the country with Twitter".