This is not really a surprise: Taiwan will not send an official representation to the ceremonies of the Winter Olympics in Beijing, the Taiwanese body in charge of sport announced on Friday January 28. She justifies her decision by the restrictions linked to Covid-19 and the disruption of air traffic.
But the announcement comes as relations between Beijing and Taipei are at their lowest in decades, with China stepping up military and economic pressure on the territory with its own democratic government.
The Taiwan Sports Administration said in a statement Friday evening that the fifteen members of the official delegation will not attend the opening and closing ceremonies due to “pandemic prevention measures and flight schedules”, which she said would not allow everyone to arrive in Beijing on time. A small team of four Taiwanese athletes must, however, take part in the events.
A strong Taiwanese delegation in 2008
China considers Taiwan a rebel province and has vowed to one day take the island, by force if necessary. A record number of Chinese fighter jets have carried out incursions into Taiwan’s Air Defense Identification Zone (Adiz) in recent months, and the People’s Liberation Army regularly holds drills simulating an invasion.
Beijing has been mounting pressure on Taipei since the 2016 election as Taiwan president of Tsai Ing-wen, who believes the island is a sovereign nation and not part of China. In 2008, when relations were better, a large Taiwanese delegation attended the Summer Olympics in Beijing.
The question of Taiwan’s representation at the Olympics has been a subject of disagreement between Beijing and Taipei for decades. Under an agreement reached in 1981, Taiwan participates in the Olympic Games under the banner of “Chinese Taipei”. This compromise allows Taiwan to take part in sports competitions without presenting itself as a sovereign nation.
Also listen Taiwan, China, United States: the risk of war