TAIPEI (Taiwan News) – The governor of the U.S. state of Wyoming, Mark Gordon, and the mayor of its capital city, Marian Orr, both Republicans, became embroiled in a heated exchange about Taiwan, reports said Tuesday (June 4).

The squabble endangered a visit by high-level Taiwanese officials next month during the capital city of Cheyenne’s Frontier Days, a festival of rodeo and cowboy culture, the Associated Press reported.

Wyoming, which recently opened a trade office in Taipei, wants to expand beef exports to the island nation, but some have expressed concern that close ties with Taiwan might threaten plans to export more of the state’s considerable coal reserves to China.

Orr told reporters Monday (June 3) that Gordon spoke foul language to insult her and used “his physical presence in an aggressive and threatening manner,” the AP reported.

The governor later apologized for his words, but denied having used intimidating body language, while accusing Orr of “mischaracterizing” the events at the meeting.

Gordon said Wyoming should not be used as a pawn between Taiwan, China and the U.S., while Orr spoke about alleged favoritism toward the island.

“The Chinese are very good with intimidation and threats and I think that there was some concern about the work we were trying to do regarding coal exports to China and somehow getting into favoritism, or appearing to show favoritism, toward Taiwan,” the AP quoted the mayor as saying.