Taiwan’s first gold medal on Sunday at the 2024 Paris Olympics quickly reignited geopolitical fervour over Taiwanese identity and self-determination, even down to the way excited fans were allowed to celebrate.
On Sunday, Taiwan's Lee Yang and Wang Chi-lin won first place in badminton men's doubles, defeating China's Liang Weikeng and Wang Chang.
It was a particularly sensitive victory since China claims Taiwan as part of its territory, although the Communist Party has never ruled it and many Taiwanese citizens reject the claim that the island is subject to Chinese control.
“Winning the championship is a fantastic feeling, and beating China is even better,” said Chen Hsi-yi, a 35-year-old film and television producer from Taipei who watched the match alone at home.
Lee Yang, right, and Wang Chi-Lin of Taiwan celebrate after defeating Liang Weikeng and Wang Chang of China during their men's doubles gold medal match at the Paris Summer Games on Sunday.
(Kin Cheung/Associated Press)
China's claim to Taiwan largely excludes the island of 23 million people from most international events and organizations, including the United Nations and the World Health Organization.
The Olympics are no exception. Taiwan competes under the name Chinese Taipei and uses a special flag depicting the Olympic rings instead of the Taiwanese flag.
On Friday, a spectator at the Paris Games posted a video on social media of a man snatching a green “Go Taiwan” sign from a woman at the badminton venue and then tearing it in half before being escorted out by security.
Other attendees reported that security at the venue had confiscated items bearing Taiwanese colours and symbols.
The International Olympic Committee bans political messages and flags of countries that do not participate in the Olympic Games.
In a statement on Saturday, Taiwan's Foreign Ministry condemned the actions of the male assistant in the video and said it is trying to help others who want to report similar cases.
In connection with another incident in which security confiscated a green towel reading “Taiwan,” the ministry said it would report to organizers over excessive enforcement of rules.
After Sunday's win, Taiwan fans were reveling in the gold.
“I was very excited,” said Lai Tse-yi, a 32-year-old actor from Taipei who watched the competition from home with his roommate. “Thank you to Taiwanese athletes for making Taiwan visible to the world.”
Another 1,000 fans gathered for the match screening at Taipei's largest train station.
Fans wave Taiwanese flags as they cheer outside the Porte de la Chapelle Stadium after Taiwan beat China in badminton on Sunday at the Paris Summer Games.
(Dita Alangkara / Associated Press)
The worsening geopolitical standoff between China and Taiwan has increased animosity in recent years.
China has stepped up its military activity around the island in response to what it sees as developments facilitating Taiwanese independence. These include then-House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's visit to Taipei in 2022 and the election of Lai Ching-te earlier this year, whom Beijing has branded a “separatist.”
Many Taiwanese have also become wary of China's military and political pressure, and have embraced local food, history and culture in an effort to distinguish the island's identity from that of mainland China.
President Lai, who also uses the English name William, congratulated the badminton duo on social media for representing “Team Taiwan.” “Their teamwork and perseverance led to this exciting victory – a proud moment for all of Taiwan!” he wrote.
In recent years, the island has attracted increased attention as a flashpoint in deteriorating U.S.-China relations. While the U.S. does not recognize Taiwan as a country, it maintains an informal relationship with its government and is required under the Taiwan Relations Act to sell it arms for self-defense.
And as the US-China relationship has turned adversarial, political support for Taiwan has grown. Earlier this year, President Biden signed a bill that included $8 billion in aid to Taiwan, which the Chinese government opposed as supporting “separatist forces.”
On Chinese social media, sports commentators lamented the Olympic defeat and stressed China's sovereignty over Taiwan.
The flags of China, Chinese Taipei and Malaysia are raised during the medal ceremony for men's doubles badminton at the 2024 Summer Olympics on Sunday in Paris.
(Kin Cheung/Associated Press)
“What a pity! Win or lose, Taiwan is definitely part of China, but losing to this pair is really frustrating,” wrote one blogger with 6.4 million followers on Weibo, China’s Twitter-like social network.
Another blogger with 408,000 followers pointed out that the Chinese Taipei team could only use the Olympic-approved flag and anthem. “One day, the five-star red flag and the ‘March of the Volunteers’ will be played,” the user said, referring to China’s national flag and anthem.
Yang is a staff writer for The Times and Wu is a special correspondent.
