'Taiwan, Mainland Diplomats Hurt After Fiji Spat'

A Taiwanese diplomat ended up in hospital in Fiji this month after two mainland diplomats stormed into a reception trying to gather information on who was attending, Taiwan's foreign ministry said on Monday, in an unusual escalation of tensions.

The Pacific is a major source of competition between the mainland and Taiwan, where Taipei has formal diplomatic relations with four countries, though not Fiji.

Beijing says Taiwan is a Chinese province, with no right to full ties with foreign countries.

Taiwan's foreign ministry said the incident happened on the evening of October 8 at a Taiwan national day reception organised by Taiwan's representative office in Fiji, where two mainland diplomats tried to force their way in to take pictures and collect information on who was attending.

Violence ensued after Taiwanese diplomats tried to prevent them from entering, and a Taiwanese diplomat was sent to hospital with a head injury, the ministry said.

Fiji police forced the mainland diplomats from the venue, who later said it was them who were attacked by Taiwanese diplomats, the ministry added.

Neither China nor Fiji's foreign ministry immediately responded to requests for comment.

Speaking in parliament, Taiwan Deputy Foreign Minister Henry Tseng said: "We are still looking at whether this represents common behaviour or was an isolated incident. But we condemn these irrational acts by the Chinese diplomats."

Larry Tseng, the head of the ministry's East Asia and Pacific affairs department, said the mainland envoys were trying to work out whether any Fijian politicians were present at the event.

There were injuries on both sides in the "pushing and shoving" that took place between the diplomats, he added. (AFP)