Several civic organizations yesterday jointly called for the official title and flag of the nation’s Olympic team to be “corrected,” saying they hope that “Taiwan” will be used at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
Taiwan participates in the Games under the name “Chinese Taipei,” with a flag depicting five rings and a plum blossom, the Republic of China’s national flower.
The flag raised during medal ceremonies at the Olympics does not represent the nation and cannot lead to the normalization of Taiwan’s national identity, the groups said, adding that it should be replaced before the Tokyo Olympics with a flag that represents Taiwan.
Photo: CNA
“At the 1960 Olympics in Rome, Taiwan attended under the title of ‘Formosa,’ but athletes marched behind a self-made banner that read ‘under protest’ at the opening ceremony. At the 1976 Olympics in Montreal, Canada, the International Olympic Committee agreed to use the name ‘Taiwan,’ but Chiang Kai-shek (蔣介石) flagrantly refused to send athletes to the Games,” Taiwan People News chairman Chen Yung-hsing (陳永興), who launched the campaign, told a news conference in Taipei.
“This type of Chinese Nationalist Party [KMT] behavior, according to which ‘gentlemen cannot coexist with thugs,’ should be corrected by the new government, it should push for the nation’s Olympic team to use the title ‘Taiwan,’” Chen said.
Chen said that seeing the five-ring flag reminded him of the refugee team at the Olympics and made him worry that people would mistake Taiwan for a nation of refugees.
“Was the old KMT government a refugee regime?” Chen asked.
“To use the name ‘Chinese Taipei’ is problematic in that it suppresses the dignity of Taiwanese.” New Power Party Legislator Freddy Lim (林昶佐) said.
Even US media outlet CNN reported about Taiwan competing in the Olympics under a different name, Lim said, adding: “Taiwan must seize this opportunity to change its Olympic flag while it can and then raise it at the Olympics one day. The government cannot act like the KMT did in the past, receiving permission from the International Olympic Committee to use the name ‘Formosa’ or ‘Taiwan’ and then protesting and refusing the opportunity.”
“I thank the foreign media for speaking up on behalf of Taiwan and asking why our team is called ‘Chinese Taipei’ and not ‘Taiwan.’ Even foreigners recognize that ‘Chinese Taipei’ is not a nation. This kind of statement accords with universal values,” Taiwan Association for China Human Rights chairman Yang Hsien-hung (楊憲宏) said.
“When we are standing on the podium at Olympic medal ceremonies with the world focused on us, we win cheers and acclaim, but at the same time we lose dignity and lose the nation. Our competitive pride is exchanged for loss of face. We have a medal in our hands, but no honor,” Ketagalan Institute president Chin Heng-wei (金恆煒) said. “Changing our Olympic flag means changing our vow to our athletes. It prepares Taiwan to go into the world.”
In related news, as Japan prepares to host the 2020 Summer Olympics, Japanese Internet users have been taking to the Web in support of using “Taiwan” as the title of the nation’s Olympic team instead of “Chinese Taipei.”
As of press time last night, 48,903 people had signed a petition at www.change.org, calling for the International Olympic Committee to allow the name change.
The petition organizer’s Web site — www.taiwan2020tokyo.org — says that Taiwan is under pressure from China to use the title “Chinese Taipei” at international sporting events, adding that Taiwan is not a part of China.
The Web site’s founders said that their aim is to have the world become reacquainted with Taiwan and to have the nation take part at the 2020 Olympics under its own name.
Taiwan is gearing up to celebrate the New Year at events across the country, headlined by the annual countdown and Taipei 101 fireworks display at midnight. Many of the events are to be livesteamed online. See below for lineups and links: Taipei Taipei’s New Year’s Party 2026 is to begin at 7pm and run until 1am, with the theme “Sailing to the Future.” South Korean girl group KARA is headlining the concert at Taipei City Hall Plaza, with additional performances by Amber An (安心亞), Nick Chou (周湯豪), hip-hop trio Nine One One (玖壹壹), Bii (畢書盡), girl group Genblue (幻藍小熊) and more. The festivities are to
Auckland rang in 2026 with a downtown fireworks display launched from New Zealand’s tallest structure, Sky Tower, making it the first major city to greet the new year at a celebration dampened by rain, while crowds in Taipei braved the elements to watch Taipei 101’s display. South Pacific countries are the first to bid farewell to 2025. Clocks struck midnight in Auckland, with a population of 1.7 million, 18 hours before the famous ball was to drop in New York’s Times Square. The five-minute display involved 3,500 fireworks launched from the 240m Sky Tower. Smaller community events were canceled across New Zealand’s
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) yesterday said it is closely monitoring developments in Venezuela, and would continue to cooperate with democratic allies and work together for regional and global security, stability, and prosperity. The remarks came after the US on Saturday launched a series of airstrikes in Venezuela and kidnapped Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, who was later flown to New York along with his wife. The pair face US charges related to drug trafficking and alleged cooperation with gangs designated as terrorist organizations. Maduro has denied the allegations. The ministry said that it is closely monitoring the political and economic situation
‘SLICING METHOD’: In the event of a blockade, the China Coast Guard would intercept Taiwanese ships while its navy would seek to deter foreign intervention China’s military drills around Taiwan this week signaled potential strategies to cut the nation off from energy supplies and foreign military assistance, a US think tank report said. The Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) conducted what it called “Justice Mission 2025” exercises from Monday to Tuesday in five maritime zones and airspace around Taiwan, calling them a warning to “Taiwanese independence” forces. In a report released on Wednesday, the Institute for the Study of War said the exercises effectively simulated blocking shipping routes to major port cities, including Kaohsiung, Keelung and Hualien. Taiwan would be highly vulnerable under such a blockade, because it
RSS