TAIPEI: Taipei offender China on Wed (Sep 14) of pressuring organisers of the Malaysian trade occasion into barring the Taiwanese beauty king waving the island’s flag on stage.
Miss Taiwan Kao Man-jung was photographed crying because other contestants in a beauty pageant made an appearance on stage during Tuesday’s opening ceremony of the 2022 World Our elected representatives on Innovation and Technology (WCIT), based on Taiwanese authorities.
“China pressured the Malaysian organisers to ban Miss Kao from holding our own national flag onstage, ” Taiwan’s foreign ministry said, adding that it had instructed its representative office in Malaysia to lodge an official complaint with the organisers.
Beijing regards the self-ruled democratic island as part of its territory to be seized one day, by power if needed.
It bristles at any international recognition of Taiwan and often responds with anger over the display of its banner at international events or by international celebrities.
Taiwan’s foreign ministry stated such suppression “would only disgust Taiwanese people and the worldwide community even more” and accused Beijing of deploying “vile actions”.
Taiwanese media reported that will Kao was halted just as she involved to go on stage, whilst other contestants had been seen waving the flags of their countries.
AFP offers approached the WCIT for comment.
Celebrities including ALL OF US pop stars Pop-queen and Katy Perry have sparked ire in China during the past for showing Taiwan’s flag, which Beijing views as a tv show of support for the island’s independence.
In 2016, a teen Taiwanese K-pop singer had been forced to apologise to get waving the banner during an online transmitted, which stoked rage in China and accusations that she was an independence advocate.
The girl video apology went viral on the day associated with Taiwan’s 2016 usa president elections, which saw the island elect Tsai Ing-wen as its first female leader in a landslide success.
China suspended all communications with Taiwan after the girl win and has ramped up military pressure because her govt does not consider the isle as a part of China.