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Lawrence Chung

Taiwan’s team will attend the opening and closing of the Winter Olympics in Beijing, just days after the island said its delegation would give the ceremonies a miss because of late flights and Covid-19 pandemic issues.
The U-turn was apparently in response to intervention by the International Olympic Committee (IOC), which wanted all teams to take part in the ceremonies.
Despite a US-led diplomatic boycott of the Games, the self-ruled island – an unofficial but close ally of Washington – has allowed its athletes to compete in the event.
But it initially said the team would miss the opening and closing ceremonies, in what was seen as a kind of “soft” boycott in support of the US move.
No government officials will accompany the 15-member Taiwanese team, which will compete as Chinese-Taipei, when the Games get under way on Friday.




In a statement late on Monday night, the Chinese Taipei Olympic Committee said the IOC had contacted it about the soft boycott.
“The IOC was in contact with us from January 29, asking us to follow the IOC charter and explained to us at length that all IOC members must follow the Olympic charter in taking part of the event, which includes the obligation to attend all related ceremonies,” it said.
The IOC said it fully understood the concerns about the pandemic and the health of the team, and the IOC would do all it could to help the team to take part in a safe environment, including in the opening and closing ceremonies, according to the Chinese Taipei committee.
The Chinese Taipei committee said that after discussions with the IOC, it finally decided to have its team members attend the ceremonies. It did not say how many of the team would be present.
The team, led by committee head Lin Hong-dow, comprises mostly committee staff, including a doctor in charge of pandemic and related matters, a therapist, a nurse and trainers.
Only four athletes will represent the island in competition – the same number that took part in the Winter Olympics in South Korea in 2018.
The team includes speed skater Huang Yu-ting, who will compete in the women’s 500m, 1000m, and 1500m events; skiers Lee Wen-yi and Ho Ping-jui, who will take part in the men’s and women’s slalom; and Lin Sin-rong, an entrant in the women’s singles luge.
Taiwan’s Winter Olympics wannabes set sights on Beijing despite lack of snow
The Winter Olympics come as tensions mount in the Taiwan Strait, with Beijing staging war games close to the island and sending warplanes to Taiwan’s air defence identification zone almost daily to ramp up pressure on Taipei.
Beijing considers Taiwan part of its territory that must be taken in control, by force if necessary. It has suspended official exchanges with Taiwan since Tsai Ing-wen of the independence-leaning Democratic Progressive Party was elected president in 2016 and refused to accept the one-China principle.
In Beijing last Wednesday, Zhu Fenglian, from the mainland’s Taiwan Affairs Office, referred to the island’s team as being from “China, Taipei”, instead of its official Olympic title of “Chinese Taipei”.
Zhu said five Taiwanese would take part in the torch relay, scheduled from Wednesday to Friday, and more than 30 Taiwanese university students studying in Beijing would be volunteers for the Games.
Taiwan’s president thanks Japan after name slip at Olympics opening ceremony
She said musicians across the strait would help create songs for the Winter Olympics, while Taiwanese youth and students in various places would take part in Winter Olympics-related events.
In response, Taiwan’s Mainland Affairs Council, which charts cross-strait policy, accused Beijing of trying to belittle the island by intentionally using “China, Taipei” to refer to “Chinese Taipei”.
It urged the island’s citizens to avoid being used as propaganda tools of Beijing.


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Chinese Taipei reverses ‘soft boycott’ of opening and closing festivities after IOC intervention
Of the 15 members of the delegation, four are athletes



Chinese Taipei reverses ‘soft boycott’ of opening and closing festivities after IOC intervention.


Taiwan

Taiwan makes U-turn to let team attend Winter Olympics ceremonies

.css-1mniedq{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;} Chinese Taipei reverses ‘soft boycott’ of opening and closing festivities after IOC intervention Of the 15 members of the delegation, four are athletes

Chinese Taipei reverses ‘soft boycott’ of opening and closing festivities after IOC intervention

Of the 15 members of the delegation, four are athletes