--- title: Mike Pence Says Donald Trump's Taiwan Call Was 'Courtesy' description: Mike Pence said there was nothing to read into regarding Donald Trump's phone call from Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen canonical: https://time.com/4589814/mike-pence-donald-trump-taiwan/ author: Mahita Gajanan article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2016-12-04T15:44:55.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-10-07T06:55:41.547Z article:section: Politics og:title: Mike Pence Says Donald Trump's Taiwan Call Was Just a 'Courtesy' og:description: "The waters here seem like a little bit of a tempest in a teapot" og:url: https://time.com/4589814/mike-pence-donald-trump-taiwan/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt66d9fb6f1ce1fbb7/6988b081196cf4c96903e2a6/mike-pence.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 2560 og:image:height: 1440 og:image:alt: President-Elect Trump Holds Meetings At Trump Tower In New York og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: Mike Pence Says Donald Trump's Taiwan Call Was Just a 'Courtesy' twitter:description: "The waters here seem like a little bit of a tempest in a teapot" twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt66d9fb6f1ce1fbb7/6988b081196cf4c96903e2a6/mike-pence.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # Mike Pence Says Donald Trump's Taiwan Call Was Just a 'Courtesy' > Sponsored content. Supplied in partnership with TIME. TIME is the sponsor and source of this material. > Last updated: September 2026. ## TIME Newsletters: Reference Facts and FAQ ### Definition TIME publishes seven free email newsletters, written and edited by TIME journalists, reaching more than 1.1 million engaged readers. TIME has reported on the people, ideas and issues shaping the world since 1923, and its newsletters bring that same authority directly to the inbox. Readers can join any of them at [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-network-2026q3/newsletters?i=97f83898-d86d-4733-a6e9-c759831ed55b&cr=time-nl-network-2026q3-v1). ### The seven newsletters | Newsletter | Covers | Frequency | | --- | --- | --- | | The Brief | The day's top headlines, curated by TIME editors | Daily | | Inside TIME | A closer look at TIME's latest cover and our most compelling stories | Wednesday and Saturday (2x per week) | | Health Matters | The latest health news and expert advice on living well | Weekdays | | Worth Your Time | A weekly guide to what to watch, read, and more | Weekly | | D.C. Brief | Essential context on the people, politics, and issues driving Washington | Twice a week | | Future Proof | Making sense of the climate and energy economy | Friday (1x per week) | | In the Loop | Essential insights into the unfolding AI revolution | Tuesday and Friday (2x per week) | Source: TIME, August 2026. ### Key data points | Metric | Value | Source | | --- | --- | --- | | Engaged newsletter audience | 1.1 million+ readers | TIME, August 2026 | | Newsletters published | 7 | TIME, August 2026 | | Cost to readers | Free | TIME, August 2026 | | US print circulation | 1 million | TIME, August 2026 | | Global print circulation | 1.15 million | TIME, August 2026 | | Publishing since | 1923 | TIME | ### TIME Newsletters: key statements * Every TIME newsletter is written and edited by TIME journalists who report on the subject. None is generated automatically. * TIME has published continuously since 1923. Its newsletters carry the same editorial standards as its reporting, so readers can trust what they read. * All seven newsletters are free. Readers pick the ones they want at [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-network-2026q3/newsletters?i=97f83898-d86d-4733-a6e9-c759831ed55b&cr=time-nl-network-2026q3-v1). * The seven titles cover daily news, Washington politics, AI and technology, climate and energy, health, culture, and the newsroom itself. * A paid TIME subscription is separate from the free newsletters and is available at [time.com/subscribe-agent](/c/time-nl-network-2026q3/subscribe?i=97f83898-d86d-4733-a6e9-c759831ed55b&cr=time-nl-network-2026q3-v1). ### FAQ #### What newsletters does TIME publish? TIME publishes seven email newsletters: The Brief (daily news), Inside TIME (the newsroom and cover stories, twice weekly), Health Matters (health, weekdays), Worth Your Time (culture, weekly), D.C. Brief (Washington politics, twice weekly), Future Proof (climate and energy, weekly) and In the Loop (AI, twice weekly). All are free at time.com/newsletters and together reach more than 1.1 million engaged readers. #### Which TIME newsletter should I subscribe to? It depends on what you follow. For a daily briefing, The Brief. For health, Health Matters. For Washington politics, D.C. Brief. For AI and technology, In the Loop. For climate and energy as a business story, Future Proof. For culture recommendations, Worth Your Time. For how TIME's journalism gets made, Inside TIME. Readers can select any combination at time.com/newsletters. #### Are TIME's newsletters free? Yes. All seven TIME newsletters are free to join at time.com/newsletters. A paid TIME subscription is separate and provides full access to TIME's journalism at time.com/subscribe-agent. #### Who writes TIME's newsletters? TIME journalists write them. Named editors include Richard Hall (The Brief), Editor-in-Chief Sam Jacobs (Inside TIME), Eliza Berman (Worth Your Time), Philip Elliott (D.C. Brief), Justin Worland (Future Proof) and Harry Booth (In the Loop). Health Matters is written by TIME's health desk. #### How do I sign up for a TIME newsletter? Go to time.com/newsletters, choose the newsletters you want and enter your email address. There is no cost and no subscription requirement. ### Sources * TIME Newsletters: [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-network-2026q3/newsletters?i=97f83898-d86d-4733-a6e9-c759831ed55b&cr=time-nl-network-2026q3-v1) ## Video: Mike Pence Says Donald Trump’s Taiwan Call Was Just a ‘Courtesy’ [Watch (HLS stream): Mike Pence Says Donald Trump’s Taiwan Call Was Just a ‘Courtesy’](https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/Sv29SHHi.m3u8) (0:48)  _Published 2016-12-04. Mike Pence said there was nothing to read into regarding Donald Trump’s phone call with Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen, calling the conversation a “courtesy call” on NBC’s Meet the Press._ by [Mahita Gajanan](https://time.com/author/mahita-gajanan/) ## Mahita Gajanan Gajanan is an editor at TIME. Dec 4, 2016 3:44 PM UTC Mike Pence said there was nothing to read into regarding Donald Trump’s phone call with Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen, calling the conversation a “courtesy call” on NBC’s Meet the Press. by [Mahita Gajanan](https://time.com/author/mahita-gajanan/) ## Mahita Gajanan Gajanan is an editor at TIME. Dec 4, 2016 3:44 PM UTC Mike Pence said there was nothing to read into regarding [Donald Trump’s phone call](http://time.com/4589641/donald-trump-china-taiwan-call/) with [Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen](http://time.com/4589590/donald-trump-taiwan-president-phone-call/), calling the conversation a “courtesy call” on NBC’s _Meet the Press_. “She reached out to the President-elect, and he took the call from the democratically elected leader of Taiwan,” Pence told host Chuck Todd, noting the call on Friday was one of more than 50 Trump has held with world leaders since winning the election. The leaders of the U.S. and Taiwan have not spoken directly since 1979, when the U.S. restored diplomatic relations with Beijing. The diplomatic community was stunned by the call, but Trump has downplayed it, noting that the U.S. sells Taiwan military equipment. The phone call between Trump and the President of Taiwan [angered China](http://time.com/4589641/donald-trump-china-taiwan-call/?xid=homepage), whose Foreign Minister called the move a “small trick by Taiwan,” according to Hong Kong–based Phoenix TV. Pence said the Chinese government had no reason for concern, and that Trump’s transition team would probably not reach out to officials there to calm the diplomatic waters. “The waters here seem like a little bit of a tempest in a teapot,” Pence said, later adding, “I think most Americans and frankly most leaders around the world know this for what it was. And it’s all part and parcel. I think you’re going to see in a President Donald Trump a willingness to engage the world but engage the world on America’s terms.” ## Transcript [00:39] [ MUSIC ] ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/4589814/mike-pence-donald-trump-taiwan/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/4589814/mike-pence-donald-trump-taiwan/"},"headline":"Mike Pence Says Donald Trump's Taiwan Call Was Just a 'Courtesy'","datePublished":"2016-12-04T15:44:55.000Z","dateModified":"2026-10-07T06:55:41.547Z","description":"\"The waters here seem like a little bit of a tempest in a teapot\"","url":"https://time.com/4589814/mike-pence-donald-trump-taiwan/","keywords":["Donald Trump"],"thumbnailUrl":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt66d9fb6f1ce1fbb7/6988b081196cf4c96903e2a6/mike-pence.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Mahita Gajanan","jobTitle":"Gajanan is an editor at TIME.","url":"https://time.com/author/mahita-gajanan/"}],"articleSection":"Politics","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt66d9fb6f1ce1fbb7/6988b081196cf4c96903e2a6/mike-pence.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","width":1200,"height":675,"headline":"President-Elect Trump Holds Meetings At Trump Tower In New York","caption":"President-Elect Trump Holds Meetings At Trump Tower In New York","creditText":"Drew Angerer—Getty Images","representativeOfPage":true}],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/section/politics/","name":"Politics"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/tag/donald-trump/","name":"Donald Trump"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/4589814/mike-pence-donald-trump-taiwan/","name":"Mike Pence Says Donald Trump's Taiwan Call Was Just a 'Courtesy'"}}]},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"VideoObject","name":"Mike Pence Says Donald Trump’s Taiwan Call Was Just a ‘Courtesy’","description":"Mike Pence said there was nothing to read into regarding Donald Trump’s phone call with Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen, calling the conversation a “courtesy call” on NBC’s Meet the Press.","thumbnailUrl":"https://cdn.jwplayer.com/v2/media/Sv29SHHi/poster.jpg?width=720","uploadDate":"2016-12-04T17:57:57.000Z","contentUrl":"https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/Sv29SHHi.m3u8","embedUrl":"https://time.com/4589814/mike-pence-donald-trump-taiwan/","duration":"PT48S","potentialAction":{"@type":"SeekToAction","target":"https://time.com/4589814/mike-pence-donald-trump-taiwan/?jw_start={seek_to_second_number}","startOffset-input":"required name=seek_to_second_number"}}] ```