The International Olympic Committee (IOC) is responsible for ensuring the equal treatment of all delegations, including the assurance that Taiwan would not be belittled at the opening and closing ceremonies of the Beijing Winter Olympics, Executive Yuan spokesman Lo Ping-cheng (羅秉成) said yesterday.
The comment came in response to backlash following an announcement on Monday that Taiwan’s delegation would be attending the ceremonies tomorrow and on Feb. 20, despite initially saying it would not participate.
Explaining its sudden reversal, the Chinese Taipei Olympic Committee (CTOC) said that the IOC sent notices on Saturday requiring all delegations to the Games to cooperate.
Photo: CNA
The delegation was initially not to participate due to flight schedule conflicts and COVID-19 prevention measures.
In a statement on Tuesday condemning the decision, the Taiwan Association for Human Rights and other groups accused the CTOC and Sports Administration of going against the official consensus.
They also called on the athletes and other representatives not to participate, as doing so would be “tantamount to endorsing China’s human rights violations.”
Photo: EPA-EFE
Taiwan Association for China Human Rights chairman Yang Sen-hong (楊憲宏), who has long protested Taiwan’s participation in the Beijing Games, said the IOC is basically doing China’s bidding, meaning that the CTOC is to some extent also conforming to China’s wishes.
It also chose Lunar New Year’s Eve to make its announcement to minimize the immediate backlash, Yang said.
The entire situation smacks of fraud, with the CTOC going back on its word after the IOC allegedly warned that not attending would affect Taiwan’s membership, he added.
The government must fully explain its decision, as under the current international climate, it seems unlikely that failure to attend would affect a nation’s Olympic status, he said.
Lo yesterday said the decision was made after the IOC in discussions with the CTOC expressed the wish that it could cooperate with its policy.
Little political interference is expected and the situation does not merit excessive speculation or interpretation, he added.
The IOC is responsible for implementing the Olympic Charter, which guarantees equal treatment for all participants in the Games, Lo said, adding that China, as the host country, shares this responsibility.
If a situation arises in which the nation’s sovereignty is minimized, then the Executive Yuan would respond, he added.
Additional reporting by Wu Su-wei
INSPIRING: Taiwan has been a model in the Asia-Pacific region with its democratic transition, free and fair elections and open society, the vice president-elect said Taiwan can play a leadership role in the Asia-Pacific region, vice president-elect Hsiao Bi-khim (蕭美琴) told a forum in Taipei yesterday, highlighting the nation’s resilience in the face of geopolitical challenges. “Not only can Taiwan help, but Taiwan can lead ... not only can Taiwan play a leadership role, but Taiwan’s leadership is important to the world,” Hsiao told the annual forum hosted by the Center for Asia-Pacific Resilience and Innovation think tank. Hsiao thanked Taiwan’s international friends for their long-term support, citing the example of US President Joe Biden last month signing into law a bill to provide aid to Taiwan,
China’s intrusive and territorial claims in the Indo-Pacific region are “illegal, coercive, aggressive and deceptive,” new US Indo-Pacific Commander Admiral Samuel Paparo said on Friday, adding that he would continue working with allies and partners to keep the area free and open. Paparo made the remarks at a change-of-command ceremony at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam in Hawaii, where he took over the command from Admiral John Aquilino. “Our world faces a complex problem set in the troubling actions of the People’s Republic of China [PRC] and its rapid buildup of forces. We must be ready to answer the PRC’s increasingly intrusive and
STATE OF THE NATION: The legislature should invite the president to deliver an address every year, the TPP said, adding that Lai should also have to answer legislators’ questions The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) yesterday proposed inviting president-elect William Lai (賴清德) to make a historic first state of the nation address at the legislature following his inauguration on May 20. Lai is expected to face many domestic and international challenges, and should clarify his intended policies with the public’s representatives, KMT caucus secretary-general Hung Meng-kai (洪孟楷) said when making the proposal at a meeting of the legislature’s Procedure Committee. The committee voted to add the item to the agenda for Friday, along with another similar proposal put forward by the Taiwan People’s Party (TPP). The invitation is in line with Article 15-2
Premier Chen Chien-jen (陳建仁) and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs yesterday denounced Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Legislator Hsu Chiao-hsin (徐巧芯) for making false allegations about donations to Ukraine and disclosing confidential documents, with the ministry saying that it would take legal action. The ministry last year signed an agreement with the Czech Republic on a healthcare project to assist Ukraine, which is to be carried out by the Czech Health Technology Institute. Hsu accused the ministry of being indirectly involved in the party politics of the Czech Republic as institute chairman Petr Foit is a local medical supplier, and has close political