Bao Shusheng, China's ambassador to Vanuatu, confirmed reports on Monday afternoon that the Pacific republic's prime minister, Serge Vohor, had pushed his shoulder hard. The incident occurred as a parliamentary session ended in the capital, Port Vila, on November 22.

He said he had used diplomatic channels to express his opinion to the Vanuatuan government on this behavior.

After finding a Taiwanese flag flying outside a restaurant that had been used as Taiwan's temporary embassy, he and other officials went to the parliament to discuss the matter with the foreign minister.

Outside the parliament, Bao stepped forward to exchange greetings with Vohor, who had just left a meeting. But when he asked Vohor to explain the flag, the prime minister pushed Bao's right shoulder hard. Then Vohor turned and rushed into his car. Bao's secretary, Feng Shaolin, witnessed the whole incident and backed his version of events.

Bao said he felt surprised after the episode, and that when he talked about it to other Vanuatuan government officials they all expressed incomprehension.

The local newspaper reported the incident, and some Vanuatuan officials who had read the news apologized to Bao and criticized Vohor's behavior.

So far, Vohor has not apologized to Bao.

Bao emphasized that the incident only constituted a personal act, and should not be interpreted as Vanuatu's attitude toward China.

With respect to Vohor's signing of a formal diplomatic recognition agreement with Taiwan, Bao said that the country's Council of Ministers has twice rejected it, meaning there are still no diplomatic relations between them.

(Beijing Times December 7, 2004, translated by Li Shen)