The government on Friday rebuked China for using the Beijing Winter Olympics to assert its claims of sovereignty over Taiwan, saying that China had “cast a shadow” over the peaceful spirit of the event to spread propaganda.
Yan Jiarong (嚴家蓉), a spokeswoman for the Beijing Organizing Committee for the Olympic Games (BOCOG), on Thursday spoke of China’s position regarding Taiwan at a news conference attended by International Olympic Committee (IOC) spokesman Mark Adams.
“What I want to say is that there is only one China in the world. Taiwan is an inalienable part of China. This is a widely recognized principle of international relations and a consensus in international society,” the former UN envoy said.
Photo: EPA-EFE
Yan also responded similarly to questions concerning Xinjiang, calling reports about forced labor camps in the region “a lie” told by “some groups with malicious intentions.”
In Taipei, the Mainland Affairs Council on Friday said that “the people of Taiwan firmly oppose” Beijing’s “one China” principle.
“The Republic of China is a sovereign state, and Taiwan has never been part of the People’s Republic of China,” the council said, adding that it condemned China for interfering with international sports activities by asserting its politics.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs also rejected Yan’s claims as untrue and said that the remarks “undermined the integrity of Taiwan’s sovereignty.”
The ministry also criticized China for spreading “inappropriate” political propaganda at the Olympics, saying that Beijing had breached the rule of political neutrality enshrined in the Olympic Charter.
“No kind of demonstration or political, religious or racial propaganda is permitted in any Olympic sites, venues or other areas,” the charter says.
Yan’s comments have also caused concern for IOC president Thomas Bach, who sidestepped questions about Xinjiang at the Games’ opening ceremony, citing political neutrality.
“We were in touch with BOCOG immediately after this press conference,” the New York Times cited Bach as saying on Thursday. “Both organizations, BOCOG and the IOC, have restated the unequivocal commitment to remain politically neutral, as it is required by the Olympic Charter.”
Yan’s remarks about Taiwan, which has four athletes at the Games, comes as China steps up efforts to limit the nation’s participation in international events and affairs.
The four athletes took part in the Games’ opening ceremony after the team said it had received “several notices” by the IOC urging them to attend the opening and closing ceremonies.
Last month, Taiwan initially said that its athletes would not attend due to delayed flights and China’s COVID-19 prevention measures.
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