Quartz
Date: November 21, 2018
By: Isabella Steger

Nov. 24 is a day of hyper-democracy in Taiwan. Millions of people will go to the polls to vote on 10 referendums on questions involving radioactive seafood, nuclear power, same-sex marriage—and the vanquishment of the moniker “Chinese Taipei.”

For decades, Taiwanese athletes haven’t been able to compete under “Taiwan” in international sporting events due to pressure from China, which claims the island as its own territory and endeavors to forbid it from using the nomenclature Taiwan, or its official name, the Republic of China, in any international setting.

But some voters are hoping a referendum could change that for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. In addition to voting on the Chinese Taipei name change this weekend, they’ll decide on a number of crucial local elections that are seen as a test of support for the ruling party.

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) recently reiterated its opposition to any move by Taiwan to change its name, and even warned it could be expelled from the IOC if it pressed ahead with it. The head of Taiwan’s Olympic committee has also expressed opposition to the referendum, arguing that any move to change Taiwan’s name could jeopardize its ability to participate in the games.
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