Taiwan says magnificence queen barred from waving flag in Malaysia

TAIPEI: Taipei accused China on Wednesday (Sep 14) of pressuring organisers of a Malaysian commerce occasion into barring a Taiwanese magnificence queen waving the island’s flag on stage.

Miss Taiwan Kao Man-jung was photographed crying as different contestants in a magnificence pageant appeared on stage throughout Tuesday’s opening ceremony of the 2022 World Congress on Innovation and Expertise (WCIT), in response to Taiwanese authorities.

“China pressured the Malaysian organisers to ban Miss Kao from holding our nationwide flag on stage,” Taiwan’s international ministry stated, including that it had instructed its consultant workplace in Malaysia to lodge a proper criticism with the organisers.

Beijing regards the self-ruled democratic island as a part of its territory to be seized at some point, by drive if wanted.

It bristles at any worldwide recognition of Taiwan and sometimes reacts with anger over the show of its flag at worldwide occasions or by international celebrities.

Taiwan’s international ministry stated such suppression “would solely disgust Taiwanese folks and the worldwide neighborhood much more” and accused Beijing of deploying “vile actions”.

Taiwanese media reported that Kao was stopped simply as she was about to go on stage, whereas different contestants had been seen waving the flags of their nations.

AFP has approached the WCIT for remark.

Celebrities together with US pop stars Madonna and Katy Perry have sparked ire in China previously for displaying Taiwan’s flag, which Beijing views as a present of assist for the island’s independence.

In 2016, a teen Taiwanese Ok-pop singer was pressured to apologise for waving the flag throughout a web-based broadcast, which stoked anger in China and accusations that she was an independence advocate.

Her video apology went viral on the day of Taiwan’s 2016 presidential elections, which noticed the island elect Tsai Ing-wen as its first feminine chief in a landslide victory.

China suspended all communications with Taiwan after her win and has ramped up navy stress as a result of her authorities doesn’t think about the island as part of China.