Taiwan representative for Miss Asia Global left out from event in Malaysia

Pressure from Beijing has prevented Taiwan from using its own name in international events, such as the World Health Assembly or the Olympic Games. And now even beauty pageants have come under Chinese political pressure. Taiwanese contestant Kao Man-jung was prevented from taking part in an event with all her fellow contestants at the Miss Asia Global pageant. Kao was supposed to go onstage with the national flag at the opening ceremony of a tech congress in Malaysia. At the last minute, she was stopped from going up the stage with other contestants. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs says it has ordered its local representative office to lodge a formal protest with the event organizers.

Anger and confusion at the back of the room, as Kao Man-jung wipes tears off her face. She’s representing Taiwan at the Miss Asia Global pageant, this year held in Malaysia. She and her fellow contestants attended the opening ceremony of the World Congress on Innovation and Technology in Penang; but Kao was stopped from going on stage with all the other contestants. It turns out it was all because of Chinese pressure.

Wu Wan-ju
Taoyuan Department of Information Technology
We were waiting and then we saw that the Taiwan representative didn’t go on stage. We moved to find out why and it turns out that she wasn’t allowed to go on stage last minute due to Chinese pressure. The whole team was shocked. We were furious.

Chong Soon Kheng
World Congress on Innovation and Technology
We may arrange a visit at another time, and offer an apology. We’ll find some other time. We’re stuck there right now.

Kao was not allowed to join the other contestants and wave her national flag on stage. The organizers of the event apologized to the team, saying that they had been forced to not let her go up. Kao’s team filmed the whole exchange, protesting the unfair treatment.

Wu Wan-ju
Taoyuan Department of Information Technology
This oppressive behavior by China has been seen by the whole world. Nobody living in a democratic country would accept such treatment.

Kao won her first title at the 2017 Miss Taiwan Beauty Contest, and has represented Taiwan at several beauty pageants since.

It is not the first time that Kao competes under the name “Taiwan,” but it is the first time that Chinese pressure has prevented her from participating in events like these. Still, Kao has collected herself since the incident, saying she will give it her all to do well for Taiwan.