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Taiwanese flag: Relations with China have been strained for years
Photo: Chiang Ying-ying / AP
In an argument during a reception by the Taiwanese representative office in Fiji, Chinese and Taiwanese diplomats got into a solid argument and were injured.
The Taiwanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced Monday that the incident occurred on the evening of October 8 at a reception for the Taiwanese national holiday.
According to the report, a Taiwanese diplomat had to be treated in the hospital after two Chinese diplomats stormed the reception to gather information about who was there.
The situation escalated when Taiwanese diplomats tried to prevent their Chinese colleagues from entering the reception.
A Taiwanese diplomat was taken to hospital with a head injury, the ministry said.
The police evicted the Chinese diplomats from the venue.
They later stated that they had been attacked by the Taiwanese diplomats.
Neither China nor the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Fiji initially commented on the incidents.
Taiwanese Deputy Foreign Minister Henry Tseng said in parliament: "We are still examining whether this behavior is the rule or an individual case. But we condemn these irrational acts by the Chinese diplomats."
Larry Tseng, head of the ministry's East Asia and Pacific division, said the Chinese were trying to find out if Fijian politicians were present at the event.
Beijing is taking action around the world against governments that it believes do not adhere to the one-China policy and that allegedly have too close ties with Taiwan.
Tseng added that there were injuries on both sides of the "push and pull" operation.
China, which claims Taiwan as its own territory, recently increased pressure on the Taipei government to accept Chinese unity.
China dispatched warplanes near the democratically ruled island.
The Pacific is an important venue for the competition between the two countries.
Taiwan has formal diplomatic relations with four countries, but not with Fiji.
China says Taiwan is one of its provinces and has no right to full international relations.
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