Taiwan's Maggie Kao bags multiple awards despite China's bullying tactics at beauty pageant
KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 20 — Taiwan's representative in the Miss Asia Global pageant won several awards despite attempts by China to bar her from waving the island's flag during an earlier event.
Taking to her social media, Maggie Kao shared that she won the Miss Talent, Miss Online Personality and Miss Diligent besides ending in top 20 of the pageant which drew to a close on Sunday (Sept 11).
Kao was caught in a political storm when China allegedly asked organisers of the 2022 World Innovation and Technology Conference (WCIT) to ban her from waving the flag in an event she attended.
Quoting a statement, Taiwan News reported Kao as thanking everyone for their support.
“I could not do it without you,” she said.
It was previously reported that Kao was photographed crying when she was stopped from going on the stage of a trade event while other contestants got to go up to wave their national flags.
Taiwan's foreign ministry later alleged that China pressured the Malaysian organisers to ban Kao from holding their national flag on stage.
