White House map showing Taiwan as separate from China catches the eye of island’s internet
- John Bolton and Steven Mnuchin were discussing Venezuela, but Taiwanese viewers were focused on another detail
- Sarcastic internet users ask if mainland social media users are going to start a campaign to boycott the White House
A White House map that excluded Taiwan from Chinese territory has caught the attention of internet users on the self-ruled island.
The map was displayed on Monday during a press conference by White House national security adviser John Bolton and Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin.
The pair were discussing sanctions on a Venezuelan state oil company after the US declared it would no longer recognise Nicolas Maduro as president.
While much of world is focused on the ongoing turmoil in the South American country and the possible US response, eagle-eyed internet watchers in Taiwan noticed that while China and Russia were marked in red, along with other supporters of the embattled president, the island was not.
Beijing regards Taiwan as a breakaway province that must eventually be reunited with the mainland and the issue is regarded as acutely sensitive on the mainland, where it frequently triggers outrage on social media.