A long-running cultural lecture series for Chinese communities in Thailand has turned into a diplomatic fight between Taipei and Beijing.

• China's ambassador to Thailand took the stage at the "Sun Yat-sen Lecture" in Bangkok and called for unity under Beijing — something the event's own program never listed.
• The association's acting chairman said the board had voted to allow only four speakers, and that a small group broke that decision without telling the rest.
• Taiwan's representative office in Bangkok publicly condemned the move, calling it a Chinese propaganda push and naming several association figures it accuses of misleading it beforehand.
• For nearly 30 years both sides' envoys attended but never spoke, an unwritten truce that has now collapsed.
• Some members refused to attend this year in protest, and the board meets next week to discuss damage control.

Outlook: Taiwan has warned it may take countermeasures, so the fallout will likely play out through the overseas Chinese community in Thailand rather than through official channels.