China and Taiwan traded accusations on Monday over a violent altercation that broke out between Chinese diplomats and Taiwan government employees at a recent Taiwan National Day reception in Fiji.
Both China and Taiwan confirmed the October 8 incident but each disputed the other’s claim of what precipitated the fight, which resulted in one Taiwanese staffer being sent to a hospital with a head injury. One of the Chinese diplomats also was injured.
The confrontation, an extreme example of the tensions between the rival governments, erupted when Taiwanese at the gathering tried to stop Chinese diplomats from taking photos of guests at the reception marking Taiwan’s National Day, a Taiwan Foreign Ministry spokeswoman, Joanne Ou, said.
"The Ministry of Foreign Affairs strongly condemns the Chinese Embassy in Fiji’s staff’s actions which severely violates rule of law and norms of civilized behaviour,” said Ms. Ou. She said Taiwan had made a formal protest to the Fiji government.
China’s Embassy in Fiji said in a statement released on Monday that Taiwan’s account was “inconsistent with the facts.” It said one of its staff also was injured.
The Chinese side also criticised the celebration, saying it “violates the one-China principle”..
