The U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Wednesday wished a Taiwanese official in Fiji a safe recovery from injuries he sustained during an altercation with Chinese diplomats earlier this month, CNA reports.
"We wish our Taiwanese friend a healthy, safe recovery. This isn't, unfortunately, the first time we've heard allegations of Chinese diplomats behaving inappropriately," Pompeo said at a press briefing.
Describing the incident, which took place at an event celebrating the Republic of China (Taiwan) National Day on October 8, Pompeo said that "Chinese diplomats appeared uninvited at an event organized by the Taipei Trade Office in Fiji."
"They started taking pictures of guests, were asked to stop and then got into a fight, a brawl, resulting in one of the Taipei Trade Office staffers suffering a head injury," he said.
Pompeo's recounting of the incident is consistent with that of Taiwan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA). China's embassy in Fiji, however, has alleged that it was the Taiwanese staffer who injured a Chinese diplomat that night.
According to MOFA spokesperson Joanne Ou, the Taiwanese staffer in question sustained a minor concussion after being pushed by Chinese diplomats, to the extent that he required hospital care.
Evidence related to the incident has been submitted to Fiji's foreign ministry and police department, Foreign Minister Joseph Wu told reporters Tuesday, although he declined to elaborate on the evidence.
A screenshot of the story published on Asia Pacific Report.
