Spectator dragged from arena for holding up Taiwan banner during Olympic badminton match
Security at the Paris Olympics ejected a fan brandishing a green banner that read “Go Taiwan” at a badminton match on Friday, sparking anger from the island’s authorities and refocusing attention on the complex rules that require Taiwan to compete as “Chinese Taipei.”
While Taiwan’s official name is the “Republic of China” (ROC), Beijing views the democratically, self-governing island as its own territory, and any recognition of Taiwan as a separate nation is resisted forcefully by China – including in the world of sport.
Taiwan competes at the Olympics as “Chinese Taipei” as the result of a political compromise – but not under its own name, flag or anthem.
Reuters reported that its journalists saw the spectator shouting while being removed mid-match. The banner he was carrying was green, a color used by the island’s ruling Democratic Progressive Party, as well as those who advocate for Taiwanese independence and greater autonomy.
Taiwan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said it “strongly condemns the crude and despicable means of malicious individuals ruthlessly snatching the ‘Go Taiwan’ slogan.”
“This violent act is not only uneducated, but also seriously violates the civilized spirit represented by the Olympic Games. It also violates the rule of law and infringes on freedom of speech,” the ministry said in a statement.
The ministry added that it had ordered Taiwan’s envoy to France to report the incident to law enforcement and would seek assistance from French authorities to “prevent the recurrence of such violent incidents.”
CNN has reached out to French authorities for comment.
When asked about the incident at a news conference on Saturday, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) spokesman Mark Adams pointed to the Olympics’ ticketing terms and conditions, which state that “only flags of countries and territories participating in the Games are allowed.”
Up until the 1970s, Taiwan competed at the Olympics under the name “ROC.” That changed in 1971, with the decision by the United Nations to acknowledge Beijing as the only legitimate government of China.
Taiwan boycotted both the 1976 and 1980s Olympics, after host nations refused to allow its team to compete under the ROC moniker.
When it returned to the 1984 Olympics, it was under the name “Chinese Taipei” following the 1979 agreement between the IOC and China that allowed the island to compete, but not use its own name, flag or anthem.
In 2018, Taiwanese voters rejected a proposal to change the name of its Olympic team to “Taiwan” from “Chinese Taipei,” the Associated Press reported.
This story has been updated with additional information.
Previous reporting from CNN’s Helen Regan.
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