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February 1, 202212:16 PM GMT+8Last Updated 9 hours ago
TAIPEI, Feb 1 (Reuters) – Taiwan’s team for the Beijing Winter Olympics will be at the opening and closing ceremonies after being told by the International Olympic Committee it was required to participate.
Chinese-claimed Taiwan has feared Beijing could “downgrade” Taiwan’s status by putting its athletes alongside those from Chinese-run Hong Kong at the opening ceremony, a senior Taiwan official familiar with the matter told Reuters last week.
Sub-tropical Taiwan, which has no winter sporting tradition and has never won a medal at the winter Games, is sending four athletes to Beijing, the same number as the last winter Games in 2018.
Taiwan had said on Friday the team would not be at the opening or closing ceremonies, blaming delayed flights and tough anti-COVID-19 rules.
But Taiwan’s Olympic committee said late Monday it had received “several notices” from the International Olympic Committee (IOC) “requiring all delegations to the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics to cooperate in sending personnel to attend the opening and closing ceremonies”.
Based on its respect of the Olympic spirit and after discussions with Taiwan’s Sports Administration, they will “adjust” the plan and “cooperate with the policy to send staff to attend the opening and closing ceremonies”.
It did not say how many of the 15-member team, including trainers, would be there.
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Taiwan competes in most sporting events, including the Olympics, as “Chinese Taipei” at the insistence of Beijing, which sees democratically governed Taiwan as part of “one China”.
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Taiwan Says Its Athletes Will Not Participate In Beijing Olympics Ceremonies
by Tyler DurdenSaturday, Jan 29, 2022 – 09:30 PM
Authored by Aldgra Fredly via The Epoch Times (emphasis ours),
Taiwan’s 15-member athletic delegation, which includes athletes and coaches, will not take part in the opening or closing ceremonies of the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics, its Sports Ministry said on Friday.
“According to the event’s pandemic prevention and entry policy, flights have been adjusted and delayed, and not all could arrive in Beijing by the opening ceremony on Feb. 4,” the ministry said in a statement.
Only four Taiwanese athletes will compete in the Beijing Winter Olympics next month, including Huang Yu-ting in the women’s 500m, 1000m, and 1500m races, Lin Si Rong in the luge women’s single, Ho Ping-jui and Lee Wen-yi in the men’s and women’s slalom.
They will be traveling to the Games separately from the United States, Switzerland, and Taiwan, according to the Sports Ministry.
“Based on the protection of the athletes, high-standard pandemic prevention and control measures have been adopted to prevent any risk of infection; to accumulate combat strength, our delegation will not participate in the opening ceremony,” it stated.
The ministry further stated that because Taiwan’s team is small, athletes and team officials will return home after completing their events, skipping the closing ceremony as well.
Taiwan has also decided not to send any government officials to the Games, citing the limited number of athletes competing.
A senior Taiwan official claimed that Taiwan refused to send any delegation due to concern that Beijing could “downgrade” Taiwan’s status by putting its athletes alongside those from the Chinese “special administrative region” of Hong Kong at the opening ceremony.
China’s Taiwan Affairs Office on Wednesday referred to Taiwan’s team as “China, Taipei,” rather than the official designation “Chinese Taipei,” prompting Taiwan’s Mainland Affairs Council to rebuke China for using the wrong name.
Taiwan competes in most sporting events, including the Olympics, under the name “Chinese Taipei” at the request of Beijing, which regards democratically-ruled Taiwan as part of “one China” and inviolable Chinese territory.
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