Groups participating in international events should avoid using the name “Chinese Taipei,” which could be twisted to mean that Taipei is a part of China, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said.
In guidelines published on Monday last week, the ministry said non-governmental organizations (NGOs) should prioritize using the nation’s official title, the Republic of China, or use the name “Republic of China (Taiwan)” when participating in international events.
The name “Taiwan” is also acceptable in circumstances under which the official title cannot be used, the ministry said.
Photo: EPA-EFE / DAVID CHANG
Titles that demote the nation’s status — such as “Taiwan, Province of China,” “Taiwan, China,” “Taipei, China” or “Chinese Taiwan” — are unacceptable, it said.
If NGOs are unable to use the preferred titles, they could recommend that event organizers refer to all participating nations, teams or groups with the names of their cities or organizations, it added.
The use of the name “Chinese Taipei” should also be avoided due to Beijing’s efforts to promote it as Zhongguo Taibei (“China Taipei,” 中國台北) in Mandarin, the ministry said.
If NGOs must use the name “Chinese Taipei” as their membership name, they should endeavor to refute or prevent the distortion of the name into “China Taipei” in Mandarin, it said, adding that “Chinese Taipei” should be listed under the letter “T” instead of the letter “C.”
While the guidelines mainly target registered NGOs participating in events abroad with help or financial support from the government, they could also apply to NGOs not partnered with the government that have been suppressed due to their membership names, the ministry said.
Taiwanese NGOs participate in international events, but due to Taiwan’s special diplomatic circumstances, they often face Chinese suppression, ministry spokesman Andrew Lee (李憲章) said.
The guidelines were prepared by the ministry along with other government agencies to provide NGOs with guidance and prevent the nation’s status being degraded or the NGOs’ participation rights being violated, he said.
The guidelines serve as a reference for NGOs, Lee added.
The ministry had previously set internal guidelines to help NGOs maintain their membership at international organizations, he said, adding that those guidelines, as well as the preferred titles for the nation, have been in place for years.
In 1993, the ministry issued a set of guidelines for civil servants participating in international conferences or events at which Chinese Communist Party members would also be present.
The guidelines list “Taiwan” and “China Taiwan” as “inappropriate titles” for the nation.
NATIONAL SECURITY THREAT: An official said that Guan Guan’s comments had gone beyond the threshold of free speech, as she advocated for the destruction of the ROC China-born media influencer Guan Guan’s (關關) residency permit has been revoked for repeatedly posting pro-China content that threatens national security, the National Immigration Agency said yesterday. Guan Guan has said many controversial things in her videos posted to Douyin (抖音), including “the red flag will soon be painted all over Taiwan” and “Taiwan is an inseparable part of China,” while expressing hope for expedited “reunification.” The agency received multiple reports alleging that Guan Guan had advocated for armed reunification last year. After investigating, the agency last month issued a notice requiring her to appear and account for her actions. Guan Guan appeared as required,
Japan and the Philippines yesterday signed a defense pact that would allow the tax-free provision of ammunition, fuel, food and other necessities when their forces stage joint training to boost deterrence against China’s growing aggression in the region and to bolster their preparation for natural disasters. Japan has faced increasing political, trade and security tensions with China, which was angered by Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s remark that a Chinese attack on Taiwan would be a survival-threatening situation for Japan, triggering a military response. Japan and the Philippines have also had separate territorial conflicts with Beijing in the East and South China
A strong cold air mass is expected to arrive tonight, bringing a change in weather and a drop in temperature, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. The coldest time would be early on Thursday morning, with temperatures in some areas dipping as low as 8°C, it said. Daytime highs yesterday were 22°C to 24°C in northern and eastern Taiwan, and about 25°C to 28°C in the central and southern regions, it said. However, nighttime lows would dip to about 15°C to 16°C in central and northern Taiwan as well as the northeast, and 17°C to 19°C elsewhere, it said. Tropical Storm Nokaen, currently
PAPERS, PLEASE: The gang exploited the high value of the passports, selling them at inflated prices to Chinese buyers, who would treat them as ‘invisibility cloaks’ The Yilan District Court has handed four members of a syndicate prison terms ranging from one year and two months to two years and two months for their involvement in a scheme to purchase Taiwanese passports and resell them abroad at a massive markup. A Chinese human smuggling syndicate purchased Taiwanese passports through local criminal networks, exploiting the passports’ visa-free travel privileges to turn a profit of more than 20 times the original price, the court said. Such criminal organizations enable people to impersonate Taiwanese when entering and exiting Taiwan and other countries, undermining social order and the credibility of the nation’s