German video game 'Conflict of Nations: WW3' labels China 'West Taiwan', Xinjiang 'Uyghur'

Amid rising tensions between China and Taiwan, a German video game named 'Conflict of Nations: WW3' has grabbed everyone's attention. video game reportedly posted an vertisement on Facebook which showed a map and labelled China as 'West Taiwan'. vertisement was posted in December and many netizens have since shared and commented on it, reported Taiwan News. 

real-time multiplayer online game is apparently set in  20th and 21st centuries and has plots surrounding a 'third world war' with many maps and scenarios to choose from. Up to 128 real opponents can participate in each match as y try to le ir countries in becoming "dominating superpower on planet." 

However, since it went viral, has disappeared and map inside game now shows countries' standard official names and boundaries. Apart from China being labelled as 'West Taiwan', vertisement also showed  region of Xinjiang as an independent country called 'Uyghur' while Mongolia is labelled as 'China'. game is developed by German video game company Bytro Labs Here is one tweet showing vertisement which has now been deleted.

Many netizens h ir own take after vertisement surfaced online. Taiwan News reported that several people used terms like 'Mainland Taiwan', 'Taiwanese Beijing' and 'West Taiwan' to agitate Chinese nationalists, stooges, censors and trolls. Back in May, Toronto Sun columnist Brian Lilley tweeted a map with China labelled as "West Taiwan" that quickly went viral. use of term 'West Taiwan' to mock China has increased since January 2020 when Taiwan's President Tsai Ing-wen asserted that Beijing needs to face reality that Taiwan is alrey an independent country.  

China-Taiwan tensions

China and Taiwan have been engaged in a tussle as Beijing claims full sovereignty over island nation, a thriving democracy of almost 24 million people located off souastern coast of mainland China. Beijing continues to claim Taiwan even as latter has been governed separately for more than seven deces.

On or hand, Taipei has countered Chinese aggression by increasing strategic ties with democracies and rivals of China, mainly United States. Beijing has repeatedly opposed US and Taiwan ties and has constantly threatened that "Taiwan's independence" means war. Moreover, US has supported Taiwan by maintaining close ties and providing it with military assets. On or hand, Taiwan also enjoys support from United States. On June 1, Chinese President Xi Jinping pledged complete reunification with self-ruled Taiwan and vowed to smash any attempts at formal independence for island.  

With ANI inputs