Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Legislator Lee Ying-yuan (李應元) yesterday called on President Ma Ying-jeou’s (馬英九) administration to do whatever it can to keep Hsieh Su-wei (謝淑薇), who won the Wimbledon womens’ doubles tennis championship on Saturday, stay in Taiwan.
Lee’s comment came after Hsieh’s father, Hsieh Tzu-lung (謝子龍), said that a Chinese company had offered an endorsement of up to 10 million yuan (US$1.63 million) a year to have her play in the Chinese National Games, which would mean that his daughter could have to acquire Chinese citizenship.
Currently, Hsieh Su-wei only has stable endorsements from CPC Corp, Taiwan (台灣中油) and Four Pillars Enterprise (四維企業), worth NT$1.5 million (US$50,000) annually.
Photo: CNA, taken from Hsieh Su-wei’s Facebook fan page
Hsieh Tzu-lung said that ideally, she would like to stay in Taiwan, adding that the family would only consider taking China’s offer if they hear absolutely nothing from any other party.
“The problem is not with Hsieh Su-wei, who is a professional tennis player and can earn money. The reason she still cannot break even is because she needs to support her younger brother and younger sister in playing in professional tournaments,” he said.
Hsieh Su-wei’s exodus could spark a “domino effect” among elite Taiwanese athletes, with more athletes opting to compete in China in the future, Lee said.
“And that would spell failure for Ma’s sports policy in general,” the lawmaker said.
It would be hard to imagine people blaming Hsieh Su-wei if she decided to play for China, because her family had endured tough times and the government had never assisted them, Lee said.
Hsieh Su-wei’s parents ran up a large amount of debt and had to live in a small apartment so the family could afford training and traveling expenses for the three children — all of whom are professional tennis players.
State-owned companies, such as Taiwan Tobacco and Liquor Co (台灣菸酒公司) and Chunghwa Telecom (中華電信), as well as state-controlled banks with annual profits of billion of dollars could sponsor local athletes, the lawmaker said.
Sponsoring outstanding athletes, or athletes who show strong potential, would be a valuable reflection of corporate social responsibility, as well serving as an effective investment for large corporations, Lee said.
Meanwhile, Hsieh Su-wei said that she had no interest in playing any political games, adding that her biggest enemy was herself.
Hsieh Su-wei and her Chinese partner, Peng Shuai (彭帥), won their first Grand Slam title in women’s doubles in Wimbledon, making Hsieh Su-wei the first Taiwanese player to claim the title.
Following her victory, Hsieh posted a message on her Facebook page thanking Taiwanese for their support.
Many replied by reminding her to not shake hands with Ma, as she would be cursed with “the curse of the president” and start losing tournaments.
The historic triumph was tainted with a political controversy generated through a statement from Peng. When a Japanese reporter asked Hsieh Su-wei in a press conference what the unprecedented win would mean for her country, Peng interrupted and said that she cannot accept the statement that Taiwan is a country.
“I’m not playing political games with you. Sports are sports,” Hsieh Su-wei said on Facebook page in response.
“I thank the president [Ma] and everyone for remembering me and caring about the tennis competition,” Hsieh said. “I have shaken the ‘hand of death’ [of Ma] more than once. However, the president became the target of severe criticism after shaking hands with me.”
Hsieh said that she had also shaken hands with former president Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁), adding that she heard that he was not doing well in recent years.
Addressing herself by her nickname Xiao-wei (小薇), or “little Wei,” Hsieh Su-wei said that her lucky number was four, which has the same pronunciation as the word for death in Chinese.
She said she was told that she would lose if “Dr Streaker,” a fervent fan from Taiwan, came to cheer for her, but she said she won two matches at Wimbledon last year with Dr Streaker present. Hsieh said that having director Chung Chuan (鍾權) make a documentary about her was supposed to jinx her chance at Wimbledon this year, because the couples or groups for which Chung had produced documentaries ended up breaking up or being dismissed. However, she won her first Grand Slam this year.
“So whom should I be afraid of? I am only afraid of myself,” she said.
Hsieh’s outstanding performance at Wimbledon boosted her world ranking in women’s doubles from No. 16 to No. 9. Her ranking in singles had dropped from No. 41 to No. 44.
SECURITY: As China is ‘reshaping’ Hong Kong’s population, Taiwan must raise the eligibility threshold for applications from Hong Kongers, Chiu Chui-cheng said When Hong Kong and Macau citizens apply for residency in Taiwan, it would be under a new category that includes a “national security observation period,” Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) Minister Chiu Chui-cheng (邱垂正) said yesterday. President William Lai (賴清德) on March 13 announced 17 strategies to counter China’s aggression toward Taiwan, including incorporating national security considerations into the review process for residency applications from Hong Kong and Macau citizens. The situation in Hong Kong is constantly changing, Chiu said to media yesterday on the sidelines of the Taipei Technology Run hosted by the Taipei Neihu Technology Park Development Association. With
CARROT AND STICK: While unrelenting in its military threats, China attracted nearly 40,000 Taiwanese to over 400 business events last year Nearly 40,000 Taiwanese last year joined industry events in China, such as conferences and trade fairs, supported by the Chinese government, a study showed yesterday, as Beijing ramps up a charm offensive toward Taipei alongside military pressure. China has long taken a carrot-and-stick approach to Taiwan, threatening it with the prospect of military action while reaching out to those it believes are amenable to Beijing’s point of view. Taiwanese security officials are wary of what they see as Beijing’s influence campaigns to sway public opinion after Taipei and Beijing gradually resumed travel links halted by the COVID-19 pandemic, but the scale of
A US Marine Corps regiment equipped with Naval Strike Missiles (NSM) is set to participate in the upcoming Balikatan 25 exercise in the Luzon Strait, marking the system’s first-ever deployment in the Philippines. US and Philippine officials have separately confirmed that the Navy Marine Expeditionary Ship Interdiction System (NMESIS) — the mobile launch platform for the Naval Strike Missile — would take part in the joint exercise. The missiles are being deployed to “a strategic first island chain chokepoint” in the waters between Taiwan proper and the Philippines, US-based Naval News reported. “The Luzon Strait and Bashi Channel represent a critical access
Pope Francis is be laid to rest on Saturday after lying in state for three days in St Peter’s Basilica, where the faithful are expected to flock to pay their respects to history’s first Latin American pontiff. The cardinals met yesterday in the Vatican’s synod hall to chart the next steps before a conclave begins to choose Francis’ successor, as condolences poured in from around the world. According to current norms, the conclave must begin between May 5 and 10. The cardinals set the funeral for Saturday at 10am in St Peter’s Square, to be celebrated by the dean of the College
RSS