A proposal to compete as ‘Taiwan’ rather than ‘Chinese Taipei’ in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics serves as a warning to Beijing.
The News Lens
Date: 2018/09/12
By: By Hsieh Shang-po
Credit: Reuters/TPG
In a meeting on July 24, the East Asian Olympic Committee decided to revoke Taiwan’s right to host the first East Asian Youth Games in 2019 in Taichung City.
The decision is controversial because it was guided by the government of the People’s Republic of China (PRC). It sends a warning to Taiwanese activist groups who want to challenge the Olympic Model – an agreement established in 1981 that Taiwan’s participation in the Olympic Games would occur only under the name “Chinese Taipei,” instead of “Taiwan” or “Republic of China” (ROC).
While the Olympic Model has been the subject of criticism in Taiwan for years, long-held grievances are finally starting to inspire action. Following the 2016 Rio Olympic Games, an alliance of civic groupshas pushed to hold a referendum on whether the ROC should participate in the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games under the name “Taiwan.”
For many critics, such initiatives reflect the rise of Taiwanese nationalism that challenges the so-called “One China” ideology. [FULL STORY]
