TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Taiwan's Minister of Foreign Affairs Joseph Wu (吳釗燮) on Saturday (Oct. 10) thanked Indian politicians and media for standing up to China's "wolf warrior" diplomacy by openly recognizing Taiwan's National Day celebrations.
On Oct. 7, after full-page advertisements appeared in Indian newspapers announcing that India's WION would broadcast a 25-minute special report on Taiwan's National Day event at 7 p.m. that evening, the Chinese embassy in Delhi sent a threatening letter to Indian media outlets, admonishing them that there is "only one China in the world," and that the autocracy in Beijing is the "sole legitimate government representing the whole of China." The letter ordered Indian media to "stick to" the Indian government's position on the "Taiwan question" and not violate the "one China" principle.
That evening, Wu posted a tweet on the official Twitter page for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA), pointing out that India is the largest democracy in the world and has freedom of the press but that China was trying to impose censorship on Indian media. He predicted that "Taiwan's Indian friends" would react to such bullying by saying "GET LOST!" On Oct. 9, Wu posted another tweet in which he wrote that "Our hearts were touched in Taiwan" after "so many friends from India" expressed eagerness to celebrate Taiwan's National Day, reiterating that China should "Get Lost."
Out of defiance of Chinese pressure tactics, Tajinder Pal Singh Bagga, spokesman for the New Delhi office of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), on National Day posted 100 signs displaying the Taiwanese flag and the words “Taiwan Happy National Day October 10" outside the Chinese embassy in Delhi. CNA cited Bagga as saying that he had posted the signs to highlight the fact that Taiwan and India are both democratic countries where the communist regime cannot restrict freedom of the press.
Acknowledging the support of Bagga, Indian media, and Indian netizens, Wu posted a tweet that day in which he tipped his hat to "friends from around this world, India in particular." Wu added that after being buoyed by Indian support, Taiwan will "definitely be more resilient in meeting challenges," particularly by what he referred to as "'Get Lost' types," China's wolf warrior diplomats.
#India is the largest democracy on Earth with a vibrant press & freedom-loving people. But it looks like communist #China is hoping to march into the subcontinent by imposing censorship. #Taiwan's
