Mistaken identity: US apologises for calling Xi Jinping the leader of Taiwan

The US has apologised to China for mistakenly describing President Xi Jinping as the leader of Taiwan in a statement issued by Washington, a top Chinese official said today.

Reacting strongly to the statement issued by the US after Xi and President Donald Trump met in Germany on the sidelines of the G20, China's Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang told a media briefing here that the Chinese side has "lodged a solemn representation with the US".

"The US said sorry for the technical error and they made the correction," he said when asked about the faux pas by Washington.

In a statement issued after Xi and US President Donald Trump met in Germany on the side-lines of G20, the White House press office described Xi as the president of the Republic of China, the formal name for Taiwan. China, led by Xi, is officially called the People's Republic of China (PRC).

Taiwan is a sensitive issue for China as it considers it as part of the mainland under its One-China policy.