US apologises for Taiwan name gaffe

The US has apologised for mistakenly describing Chinese President Xi Jinping as the leader of Taiwan, China says.

But Chinese scholars say the mistake shows a lack of competence in the White House that is not conducive to healthy US-China relations.

In a statement issued on Saturday about a meeting in Germany between Xi and US President Donald Trump, the White House press office described Xi as president of the Republic of China, the formal name for Taiwan. Communist China, led by Xi, is called the People's Republic of China.

The issue is particularly sensitive because Beijing insists that Taiwan is part of its territory.

Foreign ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said China asked the US for an explanation of the mistake, and the US said it was a technical error. Washington apologised and corrected the error, Geng said at a daily news briefing.

"It is basic knowledge for those working in diplomacy, yet this isolated incident shows how incompetent the White House staff are, how casual they are, and how poorly coordinated they are," said Shi Yinhong, a professor of international relations at China Renmin University. "It will only make the Chinese people look down upon the American government for it to make such a low-level mistake."