Taiwan President Tsai Ing-Wen emerges as the most popular foreign leader in India

The social media proved to be a brand new battle floor for Chinese aggression vis a vis India and Taiwan. Amidst these aggressions, netizens of each the international locations are seeing the necessity for development of India-Taiwan relationship with a vantage level.

Though the birthday greeting by the Taiwanese President to the Indian Prime Minister was seen as a serious improvement, the Taiwan National Day rattled China to an excessive. China did a blunder in dealing with the solidarity between Indian and Taiwanese Twitter customers to focus on China, triggering a extra fuming pro-Taiwanese marketing campaign.

Earlier, wishing the Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on his birthday in September, Tsai Ing-Wen tweeted , “Happy birthday to prime minister of India @narendramodi. Wishing you good health, happiness & continued success in your leadership of the great nation India.”

Events took a brand new flip when an Indian politician — Tajinder Pal  Bagga displayed a poster exterior Chinese Embassy in Chanakyapuri in New Delhi on 7’ October, wishing Taiwanese residents on upcoming Taiwan National Day. Sharing an image of the poster displayed exterior the Chinese Embassy in New Delhi, the Taiwanese Vice-President expressed his elation over Twitter. Conveying his happiness he tweeted — “Proud to see our flag fly high and be recognized all over the world. We thank the people from so many countries who today expressed congratulations and support. Especially our Indian friends. Namaste!  #TaiwanNationalDay #MilkTeaAlliance.”

Leading English information channel WION aired and printed a number of information items on its TV and on-line platforms. It additionally broadcasted a particular programme on Taiwan National day titled “The Double Tenth Day Celebrating ROC Taiwan’s 109” National Day” in collaboration with Taiwan’s Representative Office in New Delhi, resulting in the displeasure of the Chinese authorities. Besides, two main dailies The Indian Express and The Statesman carried full web page ads, wishing the National Day.

Similarly, one other main information broadcaster additionally broadcasted an interview with Foreign Minister of Taiwan Joseph Wu simply earlier than the Taiwan National Day. As quickly because the interview was aired, the baffled Chinese Embassy in New Delhi issued an announcement to heckle the information organisation. Press Counsellor at Chinese Embassy Ji Rong issued an announcement stating that the interview of “so-called Taiwan Foreign Minister’ and using the platform for Taiwan DPP authority separatist activities, “disregarding Indian government’s long-standing position.”

Baffled over this, Chinese Embassy in India issued a press launch on the night time of seven October for media homes and journalists asking them to chorus from offering time or house to protection on Taiwan’s NationalDay.

“Regarding the so-called forthcoming ‘National Day of Taiwan’, the Chinese Embassy in India would like to remind our media friends that there is only one China in the world, and the Government of the People’s Republic of China is the sole legitimate government representing the whole of China”. Cautioning Indian media, the press be aware additional mentioned, “We hope Indian media can stick to Indian government’s position on Taiwan question and do not violate the ‘One China’ principle.”

Responding to the act of Chinese bullying and cautioning Indian media, Taiwan’s Foreign Minister Joseph Wu requested communist China in capital to ‘GET LOST’ and tweeted – “India is the largest democracy on Earth with a vibrant press & freedom-loving people. But it looks like communist #China is hoping to march into the subcontinent by imposing censorship, #Taiwan’s Indian friends will have one reply: GET LOST!”.

Besides responding to China, the tweet was seen extra as an effort with solidarity of the Indian sentiments as it’s noteworthy that the tweet by Taiwanese Foreign Minister got here quickly after the assertion by India’s Ministry of External Affairs on Chinese press launch threatening Indian media. Aggressively responding to the press assertion, spokesperson of Ministry of External Affairs Anurag Srivastava had mentioned, “There is a free media here in India, that reports on issues that they see fit.”

The controversy on the National Day and the Chinese aggression to examine it led to make it immensely common amongst Indian plenty. #TaiwanNationalDay saved trending over Twitter in India for a number of days,virtually every week!

A day after the National Day, Taiwanese President thanked Indians for his or her needs and expressed optimism about safeguarding human rights and democratic values. Her tweet learn – “Thank you to all our dear friends in India for your well wishes on #TaiwanNationalDay. Together, we can take pride in safeguarding our shared values like freedom & human rights, & defending our democratic way of life. #namaste”.

The tweet was preferred by greater than fifty-five hundreds customers and shared by hundreds of customers. The feedback part was flooded with feedback like “Hail India, Hail Taiwan”, calling for strengthening of bilateral ties.

In addition, thanking Indians for needs, the Twitter deal with of Taiwan Presidential Office Spokesperson tweeted, “We thank all the freedom-loving people of India for sending best wishes on #TaiwanNationalDay.Your tremendous support means a lot to all of us, & we hope it will inspire others to speak up for democratic values because it’s the right thing to do for our region & the world.”

The Taiwanese Foreign Ministry additionally thanked Indians for congratulatory messages and wonderful assist on Taiwan National Day. The Ministry,in its official Twitter deal with wrote – “Thank you Indians’ congratulatory messages. Taiwan is pleased with this amazing support. When we say that we like India, we believe it.”

These weren’t the unique developments and the conclusion of Taiwan National Day celebrations under no circumstances meant the tip of the companionship and focused messaging because the Taiwanese President saved displaying her fondness for mal affiliation with it. Tweeting her image with the Taj Mahal, she said-On 15th October “#Taiwan is lucky to be home to many Indian restaurants ,& Taiwanese people love them.I always go for Chana masala and naan, while #chai always takes me back to my travels in #India, and memories of a vibrant, diverse & colorful country.”

Experts additionally imagine that by expressing her want for Chai (Tea),the Taiwanese president urged to get into a proper alliance of the “Milk Tea Alliance’ international locations, together with India,Taiwan and Hong Kong. The  thought of this alliance not too long ago emerged on social media when netizens of those three international locations got here to solitary to tackle China.

Thanking the Indian twitter customers following her in huge numbers, Tsai Ing-Wen on 13″ October tweeted — “#Namaste to our friends from #India. Thank you for following me here. Your warm regards remind me of fond memories from time spent in your incredible country, your architectural marvels, vibrant culture & kind people are truly unforgettable. I miss my time there.”

Another prime Taiwanese chief Wang Ting-yu, who can also be the Co-chair of the Foreign Affairs and National Defense Committee in Taiwanese Parliament additionally thanked Indians for wishing them on the National Day.He tweeted — Thank you to our Indian buddies for the type needs! The People of Taiwan admire your spirit, your fearlessness and your willpower to face up for what is true.”

On the identical day, China responded to the event by stating that with these developments, New Delhi is ‘playing with fire’. The Chinese Government, by its state media platform the Global Times, took over twitter to state – Hanging up posters organized by India BJP chief celebrating the “national day” of Taiwan islands exterior Chinese Embassy in New Delhi is an act of taking part in with hearth, and can solely worsen the already soured China-India ties, Chinese analysts warned.”

In reality, the background of the Chinese press assertion lies within the pattern whereby Taiwanese leaders are getting more room within the Indian media. Leading Indian media platforms prominently broadcasted and printed information associated to the Taiwan National Day.

However, one of many pioneering steps that led to this swift proximity was an illustration that appeared on Hong Kong’s social media platform lihkg, depicting Lord Rama aiming his arrow at a dragon with a sentence — we conquer, we kill.” The picture was quickly picked up by Taiwan Times beneath ‘Photo of the Day. The Taiwan Times additionally shared it over its Twitter deal with. The tweet was picked up quickly by the Indian social media customers. Besides re-tweeting in hundreds, a number of Indian residents additionally displayed the illustration as their Whatsapp Statuses, in addition to sharing it over totally different social media platforms.

The reputation of the Taiwanese President is hovering excessive in India as a number of hundred hundreds of Indian customers have not too long ago adopted her official Twitter deal with, together with many outstanding personalities. This was additionally evident within the fast bounce in variety of her followers over Twitter that jumped to 1.four million from 1.three million simply in the course of the on-line face-off in and round Taiwan National Day. However, this isn’t the primary time Indians have expressed their admiration for the President of island nation, relatively, in addition they took over social media to want her when she was not too long ago included in ‘Time 100 List of Most Influential People’ in September, together with outstanding world leaders like Angela Merkel, Nancy Pelosi, Kamala Harris, and so forth. Several communication strategists argue that her quickly hovering reputation in India shall very nicely make her a serious icon in India, much like the Dalai Lama.

The official Twitter deal with of the Taiwanese Foreign Ministry has additionally gained a big surge within the variety of Indian followers. Similar is the case with different Taiwanese leaders.

Experts argue that although geopolitical and strategic pursuits of Indian and Taiwanese governments is likely to be one of many causes behind the quickly intensifying bonhomie, it’s the frequent man — the frequent web customers of each the international locations who’ve pushed the brand new relationship. As the Taiwanese assist over social media started pouring in after the Chinese aggression on the LAC, which was reciprocated by the Indian customers urging the Indian authorities to determine formal diplomatic ties and acknowledge Taiwan. In the previous few months, hashtags like #JunkOneChina and #OneChin been trending in India, much like the trending of #MilkTeaAllianc

The challenge of recognition of Taiwan has gained cross-cutting assist from throughout India as pro-Taiwanese tweets got here from customers from throughout the political spectrum. It is believed that although India has formally not junked  its ‘One China Policy’, nonetheless, beneath the brand new friendship and big demand from the Indian public, it has slowly began to deflect from it- not in letters ,however in precept.