'Taiwan' towel incident stirs controversy at Asian Games

[u/Garbage_Plastic]

https://focustaiwan.tw/sports/202609270011

[u/PandaJesus]

During Taiwan's semifinal baseball game against China on Friday, stadium staff asked a fan to put away a towel reading "Taiwan," saying it violated the Asian Games' ban on political messages.

Seems to me they’re already making political messages by calling them Chinese Taipei.

[u/HibasakiSanjuro → u/[deleted]]

Chinese Taipei is the official name most sporting organisations, including the IOC, require Taiwan to compete under, due to Chinese pressure.

Essentially China would prefer Taiwan not be allowed to compete at all in any international event, and no sporting body would want a Chinese boycott due to the money Chinese sponsors can bring in. C-T is a compromise.

[u/bduddy → u/[deleted]]

When the "Chinese Taipei" compromise was created, in the late 70s, the leadership and most people in the ROC still saw themselves as the rightful "China" and did not wish to be called Taiwan. This is no longer true, but the original compromise remains because of course, nothing else would be agreed to by both parties.

[u/PausibleDeniability → u/[deleted]]

And "The Philadelphia 76ers" is the official name of that NBA team, but nobody gets punished for holding a "Go Sixers" sign.

Let's not pretend this is about anything other than countries acquiescing to China's economic and military might.

[u/Total-random-495]

Asian Games still got Chinese money but deep down, lots of Japanese people really love Taiwanese people

Same can be said about Taiwanese people’s opinion on Japan and its people 

[u/Responsible-Tie8665 → u/Total-random-495]

Japans only been performative of their support of taiwan. We're in the phase of taiwan sheepishly retracting most of their area claims because japan has been a shit ally by directly contesting said claims.

[u/Responsible-Tie8665 → u/Total-random-495]

'even tho indians get treated like shit in israel, we indians love israel! we have a great bond!'

[u/Doodyboy69 → u/Responsible-Tie8665]

As an Indian, I'll compensate their lack of hatred dw

[u/Carrot_Smuggler]

Unfortunately it’s just the standard for international events. I wouldn’t count on an old Japanese committee that only cares about embezzling as much public funding as possible to do something brave for Taiwan.

[u/No-Duck4828]

Other countries participating in the games get to have their flags there...

[u/dadadararara]

Great comment by the mayor!

The incident drew criticism in Taiwan, with Taipei Mayor Chiang Wan-an (蔣萬安) writing on Facebook that Taiwan is "our home, and the name the world knows us by," and "not a political taboo."

[u/HibasakiSanjuro → u/[deleted]]

Because the organisers are bound by the rules set by the Asian Games committee, which extends to flags. If the staff ignore them they could get in trouble and Japan could be blocked from hosting in the future.

[u/skatefriday]

Interesting that the other banned flag is the Rising Sun. At least the Chinese have a legitimate reason for considering that flag offensive.

Taiwan on the other hand, they really need to get over that.

[u/LaoDihang]

Rare Japan W