Blunt Trump threat by building more nuclear arms, says Chinese media

Beijing: China should build more nuclear weapons to thwart any threat in the future from a Donald Trump-led dispensation in the United States, China's Global Times newspaper has said in an editorial.

Beijing should also quickly deploy its intercontinental ballistic missiles to defend its interests if Trump tries to corner the country, AFP quoted the editorial as saying.

The article called for significantly augmenting China's military spending in 2017.

Trump had frequently slammed China on the campaign trail and called it America's "enemy".

The president-elect had also criticised China over its trade and foreign policies, and provoked Beijing by accepting a call from Taiwanese leader Tsai Ing-wen.

"We need to get better prepared militarily regarding the Taiwan question to ensure that those who advocate Taiwan's independence will be punished, and take precautions in case of US provocations in the South China Sea," the editorial said.

"China has to prepare for the worst," it said. "What has happened over the past weeks tends to suggest that Sino-US relations are facing uncertainty as never before, as Trump's words are not necessarily more bark than bite," it added.