Tsai's Beijing-skeptic Democratic Progressive Party, which only recently wrested power from the historically dominant Kuomintang and is currently the majority ruling party, has warned about Beijing's efforts to interfere in the January 2020 presidential vote.

But Taiwan's growing anxiety manifested itself in a way that was truly unexpected when the country's foreign minister accused the People's Daily of being a 'commie brainwasher', adding that the propaganda rag 'sucks'. 

The unexpectedly caustic tweet was was purportedly triggered by a relatively inconsequential factual oversight in the PD's tweet regarding Taiwan's embrace of same-sex marriage.Adding to the message's heft, the missive was signed by Taiwan's Foreign Minister, Joseph Wu, which might make it difficult to blame this on an underling, or otherwise walk it back.Perhaps it's just the latest example of Taipei pushing back against Beijing's increasingly imperialist rhetoric.