Chinese official sparks ridicule for tweeting Taiwan’s many Chinese restaurants show island has ‘always been a part of China’
By Jane Nam
On Sunday, senior Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying sparked online ridicule for her tweet suggesting that Taiwan’s many Chinese restaurants proved that the two were of one culture.
Hua has been extremely vocal about U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s (D-CA) controversial visit to Taiwan last Tuesday, a trip that has been condemned by China as a violation of the communist country’s “One China” policy, which maintains Taiwan as an inalienable part of the mainland.
“Baidu Maps show that there are 38 Shandong dumpling restaurants and 67 Shanxi noodle restaurants in Taipei,” Hua posted onto her Twitter account. “Palates don’t cheat. #Taiwan has always been a part of China. The long lost child will eventually return home.”
The statement has evoked nearly 6,000 responses, with many users finding fault in the Chinese official’s logic.
One netizen wrote, “This is illogical. There are countless KFCs in China. By your logic, does it mean that… I don’t dare think about it.”
“Starbucks, McDonalds, KFC and Pizza Hut in Shanghai. Does it mean Shanghai belongs to the West?” posted another commenter alongside screenshots of different Starbucks locations scattered throughout one of Shanghai’s busy districts.
Others commented with parodies of the original post.
Former U.S. Department of State spokesperson Morgan Ortagus replied: “There are over 8,500 KFC restaurants in China. Palates don’t cheat. #China has always been a part of Kentucky. The long lost Child will eventually return home.”
“Google Maps show that there are many McDonald’s restaurants in Beijing. Palates don’t cheat. #Beijing has always been a part of US. The long lost child will eventually return home,” wrote another user.
While Twitter is banned in China, those in the country can still access the website using special VPN software.
Featured Image via CGTN
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