Taiwan says its diplomat was delivered to the hospital after China spat in Fiji
19 October, 2020
A Taiwanese diplomat finished up in hospital in Fiji this month after two Chinese diplomats stormed right into a reception trying to gather information on who was simply attending, Taiwan's foreign ministry said on Monday (Oct 19), within an unusual escalation of tensions.
China, which claims Taiwan as its own territory, has ramped up pressure on Taipei to simply accept Chinese sovereignty, including sending fighter jets close to the island.
The Pacific is a major source of competition between the two, where Taiwan has formal diplomatic relations with four countries, though not Fiji. China says Taiwan is among its provinces, without to full ties with foreign countries.
Taiwan's foreign ministry said the incident happened on the evening of Oct 8 at a Taiwan national day reception organized by Taiwan's representative office in Fiji, where two Chinese diplomats tried to force their way directly into take pictures and acquire information on who was attending.
Violence ensued after Taiwanese diplomats tried to prevent them from entering, and a Taiwanese diplomat was delivered to the hospital with a head injury, the ministry said.
Fiji police forced the Chinese diplomats from the venue, who later said it had been them who were attacked by Taiwanese diplomats, the ministry added.
Neither China nor Fiji's foreign ministry immediately taken care of immediately requests for comment.
Speaking in parliament, Taiwan Deputy Foreign Minister Henry Tseng said: "We are still looking at whether this represents common behavior or was an isolated incident. But we condemn these irrational acts by the Chinese diplomats."
Larry Tseng, the head of the ministry's East Asia and Pacific affairs department, said the Chinese were trying to work through whether any Fijian politicians were present at the event.
There have been injuries on both sides in the "pushing and shoving" that occurred between your Chinese and Taiwanese diplomats, he added.
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