TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Taipei condemned Beijing as “shameless” on Thursday (April 4) after China’s deputy ambassador to the United Nations thanked the world for its concern over a massive earthquake that struck Taiwan. 

On Wednesday, after the magnitude 7.2 quake struck Hualien, U.S. Representative to the U.N. Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield, during a U.N. Security Council briefing on children and armed conflict, expressed her sympathy to those affected in Taiwan. 

“Let me begin by offering my condolences to the many, many people impacted by the terrible earthquake in Taiwan,” Thomas-Greenfield said. “Our thoughts are with those who have lost loved ones, who are injured, and whose homes and businesses have been destroyed.” 

China’s Deputy Permanent Representative to the U.N. Geng Shuang (耿爽) then mentioned that Thomas-Greenfield had brought up the earthquake in “China’s Taiwan,” reported Reuters. China is concerned about the damage and has expressed condolences to Taiwan and offered aid, he said, according to a transcript of his comments on the Chinese mission to the U.N. website. 

“We thank the international community for its expression of sympathy and concern,” he added. 

Taiwan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) slammed China’s remarks. The ministry “solemnly condemns China’s shameless use of the Taiwan earthquake to conduct cognitive operations internationally,” MOFA said, according to Reuters. 

MOFA added that this shows China has no goodwill toward Taiwan, per Reuters. 

The Presidential Office on Thursday thanked world leaders and political figures from allied and like-minded countries for expressing condolences to Taiwan over the quake.