The president of Mexico has suggested to Donald Trump that the United States should be renamed “América Mexicana”, in a sarcastic rebuke to his comments on the Gulf of Mexico.

Claudia Sheinbaum used a press conference to display a map from 1607 that labelled the area north of modern-day Mexico as “Mexican America”.

América Mexicana had been the name of the territory in 1607 on the European map commissioned for the Dutch East India Company, based in Amsterdam.

“That sounds nice, no?” she added, playfully.

The comments came in response to Mr Trump’s assertion that the Gulf of Mexico should be renamed the “Gulf of America”, in the latest example of him flexing his power on the world stage before he takes office on Jan 20.

He has not ruled out seizing Greenland or the Panama Canal by force to protect American interests – moves that have been widely condemned by world leaders.

Mr Trump’s relationship with Dr Sheinbaum will be crucial over the next four years amid promises of mass-deportations and crippling taxes on trading partners.