YANGON, 15 March, 2021 (TON): In the backdrop of the Chinese factories ablaze, in order to have a distinction from China, Taiwan’s embassy in Myanmar has advised its companies in Myanmar to fly Taiwan’s flag and hang signs stating Taiwan’s identity to avoid being confused with China.  

After the Chinese staff injured and trapped in arson attacks by unidentified assailants on the garment factories in the Yangon suburb of Hlaingthaya, the Chinese embassy has called on Myanmar to protect the Chinese property and people.  

The move came as Myanmar views China to render support to the military junta in overthrowing the elected leader Aung San Suu Kyi.

The foreign ministry of Taiwan assured on Monday that only one Taiwanese company was caught up in the violence, with 10 of its citizens trapped inside the premises though they were safe.

The office suggested, “Taiwanese businesspeople hang signs in Burmese reading Taiwanese company at their factories and to hang our country's national flag, and explain to local workers and neighbors they are a Taiwanese factory, to avoid outsiders getting confused and misjudging."

However, it is not far old that the Taiwanese firms in Southeast Asia had been confused for Chinese ones in protests before, including in 2014 when thousands of Vietnamese set fire to foreign factories in an angry reaction to Chinese oil drilling in a part of the South China Sea claimed by Vietnam.