REFERENDUM PLAN: International media reporting on ‘Chinese Taipei’ athletes’ outstanding achievements do not hide that they are Taiwanese, the association said

Taipei Times
Date: Aug 14, 2018
By: Shelley Shan  /  Staff reporter

Any unilateral change to the name of the Taiwanese national team for the 2020 Tokyo Summer Olympics would only hurt Taiwan and could cost the nation its membership in the International Olympic Committee (IOC), the Chinese Taipei Olympians Association said yesterday.

The association of Taiwanese Olympic medalists and former participants issued an official statement in response to a proposed referendum that would change the name of the national team from “Chinese Taipei” to “Taiwan.”

Olympic Charter Article 30, section 2 states: “The name of a [national Olympic committee] NOC must reflect the territorial extent and tradition of its country and shall be subject to the approval of the IOC Executive Board,” the association said.

“The Constitution states that our official title is the Republic of China and the country’s territory includes Taiwan proper, Penghu, Kinmen and Matsu,” the association said. “The title ‘Chinese Taipei’ is the result of an agreement that was reached on March 23, 1981, between Taiwan’s Olympic committee and the IOC in Lausanne [Switzerland], and both the title of the national team and the flag representing the team have been approved and recognized by the IOC ever since.”    [FULL  STORY]