Paris: The owner of a Taiwanese tea company that recently won an award at a prestigious French tea competition reported that the ceremony was disturbed by two individuals, suspected to be Chinese diplomats, who vocally challenged Taiwan’s sovereignty.
According to Focus Taiwan, Leo Hsieh, CEO of the Taichung-based Lishan Juxin Tea Industry Co., Ltd., revealed that during the awards ceremony for the 8th AVPA “Teas of the World” contest on December 2, two people claiming to be from the Chinese embassy in France disrupted the event. They shouted slogans such as “Taiwan is part of China” and “Taiwan is just a province” in English when Hsieh’s tea brand received a special mention.
A video clip shared by Hsieh on social media captured the moment, but despite the interruption, the awards ceremony continued. Attendees expressed disapproval of the disruption, with some booing and asking the individuals to be quiet or leave the venue.
Hsieh noted that many participants offered him support following the incident. Some indicated that the aggressive behavior, often referred to as “wolf warrior diplomacy,” could further tarnish China’s image internationally.
In response to the occurrence, Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) spokesman Hsiao Kuangwei commented that while the identities of the two individuals as Chinese diplomats could not be immediately confirmed, it remains clear that Taiwan is not part of the People’s Republic of China (PRC). He emphasized that the Republic of China (Taiwan) and the PRC operate as separate entities.
The Taiwan representative office in France explained that the “Teas of the World” competition, organized by the Agency for the Valorization of Agricultural Products (AVPA), took place at the Embassy of Peru in Paris. This year, the AVPA assessed over 300 tea products from 18 countries globally. Taiwanese tea brands achieved impressive results, winning 10 Gold Gourmets, 8 Silver Gourmets, 12 Bronze Gourmets, and 24 AVPA Gourmet Product prizes.
Hsieh’s company, Lishan Juxin Tea Industry Co., was awarded the AVPA Gourmet Product prize for its Huagang Snow Source Tea.