China blames flag cake as diplomats brawl with Taiwan embassy staff

China’s extraordinary sensitivity on Taiwan exposed by a punch-up involving diplomatic staff over a ‘provocative’ cake.

A flag raising ceremony to mark Taiwan’s national day. Picture: AFP

Beijing has defended Chinese diplomats in Fiji who got into a fist fight with a representative of Taiwan, suggesting a provocative cake was partly to blame.

China’s foreign ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian said the “Taiwanese institution” in Fiji had “blatantly displayed the self-styled flag” at a national day function at the Grand Pacific Hotel in Suva on October 8.

“And its cake was also decorated with a self-styled flag,” Mr Zhao said as he gave China’s account of the punch up.

The aggression in the South Pacific made headlines around the world, mildly concussed the Taipei Trade Office librarian in Suva and resulted in China’s Fijian embassy lodging a retaliatory complaint with local police.

It underlined China’s extraordinary sensitivity about Taiwan, a self-governing island it considers a wayward province.

Peter Martin, who is soon to publish a book on the history of China’s “Wolf Warrior” diplomacy” said it demonstrated there is “no such thing as a low-stakes event when it comes to Chinese diplomacy”.

“Especially if it involves Taiwan,” said Mr Martin.

Dancers perform during the National Day celebrations in Taipei. Picture: Maurice Tsai

The two sides have given different accounts of the fight.

Taiwan said Chinese diplomats in Suva assaulted Taipei’s country office librarian at a function celebrating the national day of the Republic of China, Taiwan’s official name.

The fight broke out after the Chinese diplomats were asked not to take photographs of guests at the function, according to Taiwan’s Deputy Foreign Minister Harry Ho-jen Tseng.

“What is even more outrageous is that when the Fiji police arrived at the scene, the Chinese embassy staff refused to (assist their) investigation on the grounds of diplomatic immunity,” Mr Tseng told Taiwan’s parliament on Monday.

China’s foreign ministry said reports on the event had been “totally untrue”.

After explaining the role of the cake with the flag, China’s foreign spokesperson Zhao Lijian said the “so-called ‘National Day’ event” had “severely violated the one-China principle and the Fijian government’s regulations regarding Taiwan”.

“On that very evening, the staff of the Taipei Trade Office in Fiji spoke and acted provocatively against the Chinese Embassy staff who were carrying out their official duties in the public area of the same hotel where the ‘event’ was held,” said Mr Zhao at a press conference in Beijing.

Mr Zhao said a Chinese diplomat had been injured, their belongings damaged and that police in Fiji had been asked to investigate the matter.

“We believe Fiji will settle this issue in a just and proper manner,” said Mr Zhao.