The nation’s athletes are banned from participating in national events hosted by China, or if the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) or Chinese government and military are involved, the Sports Administration reiterated over the weekend.
The agency issued the statement after China’s Taiwan Affairs Office on Wednesday said that its General Administration of Sports is amending regulations to allow Taiwanese athletes, coaches and referees to work in China with China-issued certificates.
Sports Administration Director-General Kao Chin-hsiung (高俊雄) said that the Mainland Affairs Council has issued the Notice on Civil Organizations Visiting Mainland China for Cross-Strait Exchanges (民間團體赴大陸交流注意事項), which stipulates that athletes should not join national events in China, nor should they accept jobs in the CCP, the Chinese government or the military.
Photo: Lin Cheng-kung, Taipei Times
Huang Hsiao-fen (黃筱棻), a section chief of the Sports Administration’s international and cross-strait division, said that athletes are prohibited from competing in events like the National Games of the People’s Republic of China if they say they represent Taiwan, as it would imply that Taiwan is a Chinese territory.
The Act Governing Relations Between the People of the Taiwan Area and the Mainland Area (臺灣地區與大陸地區人民關係條例) stipulates that any individual, juristic person, organization or other institution of Taiwan may become a member of or hold a position in any juristic person, organization or other institution in China, Huang said.
However, it also states that they may not hold any position or become a member of the agencies, institutions or organizations in China that are political parties, the military, the government administration or other agencies of political nature, she said.
The act does not ban Taiwanese athletes from playing for professional teams in China or competing at events held by the private sector there, nor does it ban Taiwanese coaches and referees from securing certificates from sports associations in China, Huang said.
However, they are not allowed to compete or work in national games there, she said.
Athletes, coaches and referees are obligated to report in advance to the Sports Administration if they are to participate in events where the CCP, the Chinese government or military would be involved, Huang said.
The athletes can talk to Sports Administration or council officials if they have doubts, she added.
The Regulations Governing Cross-Strait Exchanges (兩岸體育交流處理規範) state that individuals in Taiwan’s sports industry are banned from joining national sports events in China or any activity with a specific political purposes, the sports agency said.
Although there are fines for those who accept CCP, or Chinese government or military jobs, it does not set fines for athletes if they compete in national games in China, Huang said.
The Sports Administration and the council do not have records of Taiwanese athletes who have competed in national sports events in China, Huang said.
Asked how the nation plans to keep top athletes from moving to China to chase career opportunities, the sports agency said it has a comprehensive plan to give athletes opportunities and retirement plans.
Private corporations are also encouraged to sponsor athletes, it said.
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