KAOHSIUNG (Taiwan News) — Sometimes you read a news story and have to pause and check that it isn’t satire. That was certainly the case earlier this week with "cake-gate" or the "farce in Fiji."
Just to recap this astonishing incident: two Chinese Communist Party (CCP) officials gatecrashed the Taipei Trade Office in Fiji’s event to mark Double Ten Day, also known as Taiwan's National Day.
They started photographing attendees without permission, took objection to a cake baked to mark the occasion — which depicted the Taiwan flag — and refused to leave when asked. They then assaulted a Taiwanese diplomat when he tried to remove them.
No, this is not the plot line from a satirical sitcom or something you dreamed after eating too much cheese before bedtime. It actually happened and, in fact, encapsulates the CCP’s approach to international diplomacy.
The CCP clowns broke into a private event, conducted intrusive and illegal surveillance of those present, claimed offense at a totally innocuous and inoffensive object, then used physical violence to try and enforce their position when challenged.
Many CCP diplomatic incidents can be distilled to these four elements: criminality, surveillance, taking offense, and violence. The incident made media headlines around the world and embarrassed the CCP leadership.
'Wolf warriors'
Needless to say, the CCP and its state media puppets have gone into overdrive to spin the event in their favor. The two CCP officials involved have been described in Chinese media as "Wolf Warriors" — a reference to the eponymous propaganda film from a few years ago. This is a flagrant attempt to turn an international humiliation into a moment of patriotic pride.
The China Embassy in Fiji then released a statement saying their staff had been provoked while carrying out official duties. But they were unable to say how they had been provoked or what these official duties were.
Then the CCP went off on its familiar 'one China' refrain, claiming the event served as an attempt to "create two Chinas" or "one China, one Taiwan internationally." This is not the case because no one was attempting anything of the sort.
It is an inescapable fact there is one China and one Taiwan, whether the CCP likes it or not. No matter how much the Chinese stamp their feet and throw their toys around, take offense at cakes and beat up diplomats, the facts remain.
As Taiwan Premier Su Tseng-chang (蘇貞昌) said in a statement following the event, “As a sovereign state, we'll continue celebrating #TaiwanNationalDay everywhere, every year.”
Loud and clear
The CCP’s manipulation of this incident may have some impact on the brainwashed masses in China who don’t know any better than to accept the propaganda of their totalitarian government. However, to the international community, where CCP stock is plunging to new depths on an almost daily basis, this looks like the pathetic, childish, and petulant incident that it is.
It would almost be laughable if it wasn’t so serious.
Make no mistake, the CCP presents a clear and present threat to Taiwan and it is doing nothing to hide this fact right now. For all the absurdity of the incident, it is another item on the growing list of the CCP's artificial grievances against Taiwan.
It is to be hoped the international community can see this Fijian farce for what it really is, namely, a case study of CCP diplomacy. It says, “We will break in, we will spy on you, we will not accept any deviation from our party line, and if you challenge us in any way we will hurt you.”
The message is loud and clear and every time an incident of this type takes place, the true face of the CCP becomes a bit clearer to the rest of the world.
