A recent controversy over the use of the word “Taiwan” at an event in Taipei City has highlighted the absurdity of China’s sensitivity to the name and cast doubt on the city government’s commitment to upholding the nation’s dignity.
With the Denver Nuggets and the Indiana Pacers in Taipei this week for exhibition games, preparations were under way at the Taipei Arena ahead of the first game today.
But a banner on the side of the stadium to welcome the US National Basketball Association (NBA) teams was changed at the last minute to replace the word “Taiwan” with the word “Taipei.”
Another victory for Beijing — on Taiwan’s own turf.
The sign that read “Taiwan Welcomes the NBA” became “Taipei Welcomes the NBA.”
This change could only be intended as a gesture to China, signaling that the city hopes to avoid controversy.
It gives the impression that the Taipei City Government and Taipei Mayor Hau Lung-bin (郝龍斌) of the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) are more than happy to avoid the name “Taiwan.”
While the city government would be right to want to promote city pride by emphasizing that the capital is hosting the event, it is highly doubtful that this was the motive.
Hosting basketball games with athletes of this caliber is an exciting event for fans of the sport across the country — not just in Taipei. From this perspective, changing the sign was dismissive of the enthusiasm of fans outside the capital.
The episode showcases how often the name “Taiwan” is avoided and, sadly, how little this seems to bother the public.
During election campaigns, or when leaders seek to improve their image in the wake of a scandal or administrative failures, it is common to see politicians don sports uniforms, vests or caps bearing the word “Taiwan.” They make a point of using the word “Taiwan” or “Taiwanese” throughout campaign speeches.
By showing a bit of “Taiwan” pride, politicians hope to bridge the distance between themselves and their constituents — and often they succeed in convincing the latter that their show is genuine.
It is intriguing, then, to see these same politicians drop the word “Taiwan” when they have an excellent opportunity to raise the nation’s visibility at international events.
While Taipei deserves to be rebuked for casting the name “Taiwan” aside at its convenience, the public must realize that it plays a role in such abuses by failing to demand that their leaders stand up for the name. Avoiding the word “Taiwan” is harmful to the nation’s dignity.
The public permits leaders and politicians to treat the word “Taiwan” as disposable. In doing so, it allows its leaders to be disrespectful.
Unless the public demands better of its politicians, it cannot expect to have leaders willing to uphold the nation’s dignity and work toward increasing its international visibility.
Is a new foreign partner for Taiwan emerging in the Middle East? Last week, Taiwanese media reported that Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Francois Wu (吳志中) secretly visited Israel, a country with whom Taiwan has long shared unofficial relations but which has approached those relations cautiously. In the wake of China’s implicit but clear support for Hamas and Iran in the wake of the October 2023 assault on Israel, Jerusalem’s calculus may be changing. Both small countries facing literal existential threats, Israel and Taiwan have much to gain from closer ties. In his recent op-ed for the Washington Post, President William
Taiwan-India relations appear to have been put on the back burner this year, including on Taiwan’s side. Geopolitical pressures have compelled both countries to recalibrate their priorities, even as their core security challenges remain unchanged. However, what is striking is the visible decline in the attention India once received from Taiwan. The absence of the annual Diwali celebrations for the Indian community and the lack of a commemoration marking the 30-year anniversary of the representative offices, the India Taipei Association and the Taipei Economic and Cultural Center, speak volumes and raise serious questions about whether Taiwan still has a coherent India
A stabbing attack inside and near two busy Taipei MRT stations on Friday evening shocked the nation and made headlines in many foreign and local news media, as such indiscriminate attacks are rare in Taiwan. Four people died, including the 27-year-old suspect, and 11 people sustained injuries. At Taipei Main Station, the suspect threw smoke grenades near two exits and fatally stabbed one person who tried to stop him. He later made his way to Eslite Spectrum Nanxi department store near Zhongshan MRT Station, where he threw more smoke grenades and fatally stabbed a person on a scooter by the roadside.
Recent media reports have again warned that traditional Chinese medicine pharmacies are disappearing and might vanish altogether within the next 15 years. Yet viewed through the broader lens of social and economic change, the rise and fall — or transformation — of industries is rarely the result of a single factor, nor is it inherently negative. Taiwan itself offers a clear parallel. Once renowned globally for manufacturing, it is now best known for its high-tech industries. Along the way, some businesses successfully transformed, while others disappeared. These shifts, painful as they might be for those directly affected, have not necessarily harmed society
RSS