Why Taiwan Can’t Be Mentioned at the Olympics – NBC New York

Taiwan’s red-and-blue flag, as well as the name “Taiwan” and anthem, have been banned from the 2024 Paris Olympics. The island, claimed by Beijing, is just one of three competitors whose flag is banned from these Olympics, the others being Russia and Belarus due to their invasion of Ukraine.

The policy was a flashpoint several times during the Games.

During Sunday’s thrilling men’s doubles badminton final, in which Taiwanese Lee Yang and Wang Chi-lin defeated Chinese Liang Weikeng and Wang Chang to defend the title they won in Tokyo, a sign reading “Let’s go Taiwan” was torn from one of the fans’ hands and torn off.

Arun SANKAR / AFP

According to news reports and witnesses, a green towel with the word “Taiwan” written on it was taken from another fan during the match. People who were there said it was unclear who took the items.

During another badminton match on August 2 between Taiwan’s Chou Tien Chen and India’s Lakshya Sen, a spectator was asked to leave the venue after he flashed a green sign reading “Let’s go, Taiwan,” according to witnesses.

The incident sparked a strong response from Taiwan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, which in a statement issued last Saturday condemned the “brutal and despicable act” of forcibly removing the poster.

It added: “This aggressive behavior is not only completely uncivilized, but also seriously violates the spirit of civilization represented by the Olympic Games, violates the rule of law and restricts freedom of speech.”

In response to a request for comment, China’s Foreign Ministry said on Friday it firmly opposed any attempt to use the Olympics to “manipulate the Taiwan issue.”

“The International Olympic Committee has always upheld the One-China principle and has established clear regulations that are widely respected by the international sports community,” the ministry said in a statement. “The Olympic Charter clearly states that any political propaganda or speech at Olympic venues is strictly prohibited.”

Geopolitics is at the heart of the dispute playing out in the sports arena.

Taiwan is a self-governing democracy that is competing as “Chinese Taipei,” trying to compete in the Olympics without angering mainland China. The Chinese Communist Party views it as a breakaway province, and President Xi Jinping, like other leaders before him, has not ruled out using force to seize control of the island.

It’s a delicate dance enforced by the International Olympic Committee, which maintains a ban on Taiwanese flags at all of its venues. That was the case during the women’s table tennis quarterfinals between Chinese Taipei and China, which NBC News attended Wednesday.

Asked about the developments Monday, IOC spokesman Mark Adams referred to a 1981 agreement under which Olympic organizers and the Taiwanese government agreed to use the name and flag of Chinese Taipei after the United States and much of the world granted Beijing diplomatic recognition.

The IOC’s ban on displaying any political messages at Olympic venues will also apply to banners such as the one reading “Forward Taiwan,” he said.

“You can see how that could lead to, ‘If this is allowed, why not this? And if this is allowed, why not that?'” he told a news conference. “That’s why the rules are quite strict, because we have to try to get 206 national Olympic committees together in one place, and that’s quite a tall order.”

He added that the IOC’s job is to “try to build a culture of peace” and that “we need to unite everyone and lower the temperature of all kinds of debates and discussions.”

Taiwan has competed under various names since 1949, when China’s Nationalist government fled to the island after being defeated by Mao Zedong’s communists in a civil war. It has competed as the Republic of China, Formosa and, briefly in the 1960s, Taiwan. In a 2018 referendum, citizens voted against changing the name of their Olympic team to “Taiwan” — in what some experts say was a pragmatic attempt to avoid angering Beijing.

Sunday’s badminton victory over a top Chinese duo — Chinese Taipei’s first and only gold medal at the Paris Games — was a moment of celebration for the island and its 25 million people. But for some spectators, the victory was overshadowed by what happened in the stands.

“It’s been ruined,” said Maori Chiang, 23, who is originally from Taiwan but is now studying in London. He was among the viewers of the final and said he felt “angry and upset”.

His 25-year-old friend Yu Tsing Lin, who also lives in London, said “the ban on our flag makes no sense”.

“We are our own country, we are not part of them,” she added, referring to mainland China.

At the center of it all are the players.

“After the game is over, we should be debriefed and share our thoughts on the match,” said four-time Olympian Chen Szu-yu, a member of Chinese Taipei’s women’s team that lost to China in table tennis on Wednesday.

“Questions about the audience should be decided by the audience or the organizers, not by us, the players,” she said.

The island’s badminton victory on Sunday sparked nationalist sentiment in China, with state television CCTV cutting off parts of the match and not broadcasting the medal ceremony at all.

“No matter how you fight, you can’t change the fact that Taiwan has been part of China since ancient times,” one user wrote on social media platform Weibo. “Taiwan independence, go die.”

“The motherland will reclaim Taiwan tomorrow, okay?” said another, referring to China. “What gives the Taiwan independence forces the illusion that winning a gold medal will make you reborn again? I will laugh out loud.”

On a hot day this week, NBC News visited the Chinese House in Taipei, one of the cultural centers set up in Paris by the various Olympic committees. The Taiwanese said that while it was an honor to compete in the Games, they were pained that they could not do so under their chosen name.

“Outside of China, no one really cares and everyone finds it very strange,” said Arial Su, 32, who is from Taiwan but works in London.

“Why can’t we represent ourselves with our own flag?”

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