Participating in international activity under the name “Taiwan”.
Taiwan’s athletes performed very well during the Rio Olympic Games. They not only captured many medals but our rankings exceeded the last Olympic games. All these accomplishments make the Taiwanese people feel so proud.
Unfortunately, our athletes are only allowed to stand under the flag of “Chinese Taipei” at the Rio Olympic Games, not “Taiwan”. At the opening ceremony, only Taiwan and refugee athletes hold the general Olympic games flag while entering the ceremony. At the presentation ceremony, there was no Taiwan’s flag or national anthem. So are the Taiwanese considered refugees, not an independent country?
Taiwan suffers from this kind of discrimination so often even some of the international media have taken pity on us. At 6th Aug, CNN report that Taiwan Tae Kwon Do athlete “Chen Shih-hsin” won a gold medal at year 2004 Olympic, but at the presentation ceremony there’s no Taiwan national anthem, only the Chinese Taipei Olympic Committee flag song. She saluted to the slowly rising flag, but that flag was also not the one with blue sky white sun and red ground which she familiar with. That flag was a white flag of the Chinese Taipei Olympic Committee. “Chinese Taipei” is a country that does not exist in the world.
CNN report also points out that this is a result of the political compromise between Taiwan and China. This problem becomes more obvious after President Tsai Ing-wen was elected. For the past 30 years, Taiwan participate the Olympic games by the name “Chinese Taipei”. This was never accepted by most of the Taiwanese. Taiwan’s politics trend is completely independent from China. This “compromise” is getting more and more dispute because the Taiwanese feel angry about the unfairness of it.
Taiwan has a certain population, and territory. They have effective jurisdiction over internal affairs and are responsible for processing foreign relations.
Taiwan is in fact a sovereignty independent country.
President Tsai Ing-wen said it this way, and most of the Taiwanese agree. But the International society did not see Taiwan as an independent country, as the Olympic games treated our athletes like refugees rather than citizens. All Taiwanese people should be worried about this.
Hague Standing Arbitration Court called Taiwan "Taiwan Authority of China” 12 times in the South China Sea Arbitration. The ministers of ministry of Health and Welfare recently gave a speech in WHA. In his speech, he also only mentions “Chinese Taipei”, not “Taiwan”. In many international organizations like International Civil Aviation Organization(ICAO), Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission (WCPFC), North Pacific Fisheries Commission(NPFC)… etc., Taiwan participated by the name “Chinese Taipei”. After all these years, is this how the International society should treat this “country”, as still intertwined with China?
In fact, Taiwan once got a chance to participate the Olympic games by the name “Taiwan” or “Formosa”. Unfortunately, this chance was wasted by the KMT because of “The Legitimate Government does not Coexist with Rebels” and “One China principle”.
During the year 1959, the International Olympic Committee(IOC) Sessions passed a resolution to remove ROC Olympic Committee from IOC, as they disagreed that ROC Olympic Committee participate IOC by a name related to China. But ROC Olympic Committee can rejoin the IOC by the name “Taiwan” or “Formosa”. During 1960, Rome Olympic games, IOC allowed Taiwan to participate by the name “Formosa”, Taiwan athletes entered the opening ceremony with the banner “UNDER PROTEST” behind the “Formosa” sign.
In 1979, IOC passed a resolution to let ROC Olympic Committee join the IOC by the name “Chinese Taipei Olympic Committee”. KMT represented the disaffection, and filed the accusation to the Swiss Court. In 1981, ROC Olympic Committee agreed to rename Taiwan as the Chinese Taipei Olympic Committee, and sign an agreement with IOC that, “Chinese Taipei” cannot use the ROC flag and National anthem, but only the Chinese Taipei Olympic Committee’s flag and song. “Chinese Taipei” slowly became the official name of Taiwan while participating in international organizations.
KMT clams that China is only pursuing the ultimate unification but it has led to a divergent national identity and caused a lot of confusion. Is Taiwan an independent country and having nothing to do with China? Or Taiwan is part of China and still has many entanglements and sovereignty overlaps with China? Government under Tsai Ing-wen’s lead emphasized that they will maintain the current status of Taiwan, respect the current “ROC Constitutional government system”, and “Act Governing Relations between the People of the Taiwan Area and the Mainland Area”, and attempt to maintain the “Grey area”. But the national identity is still not clear. If Taiwan can’t clearly explain its own national identity, how can we expect the International society to support Taiwan?
Taiwan, after party alternation 3 times, DPP whom pursues Taiwan independence, has already gain full control of Taiwan. This is a critical moment for Taiwan. If we are still afraid to stand up for Taiwan in the international society, and silently accept the Olympic games treating us like refugees, that is such a disgrace to the Taiwanese! We appeal to the new government that we should join any international organization by the name “Taiwan” and give up “Chinese Taipei” which still remains from the totalitarian time. Let the world know that Taiwan is an independent country and is completely different from China. Taiwan is Taiwan, not “Chinese Taipei” nor “Taiwan Authority of China”. The only way to ask for sympathy, respect and support from the international society is by clearly showing our national identity. By doing so, we can avoid the sorrow destiny of becoming refugees.