Written by Brian Hioe. This article explores the way in which the Olympics served as a stand-in for contestation about national identity in Taiwan. It compares the 2024 Olympics in Paris with previous Olympics, in response to the national referendum in 2018 on the name of Taiwan’s Olympic team and growing support for the status quo and progressive political values among young people.
Written by Chieh-Ting Yeh. This articles argues that China has been exploiting the Olympic Games for its nationalism and as a battleground to squash Taiwan’s national status. It demonstrates how Taiwan stands as a stark contrast to China through embodying the values of the Olympic Games, including sportsmanship and resolving conflicts through mutual understanding.
Written by Junwei Yu. This article highlights the political implication of the Olympic Formula of Chinese Taipei for Taiwanese spectators in the stand. The IOC regulations for spectators are relatively vague and that allow different handling of Taiwanese fans in various Olympics and sports events. This article reviews these incidents amidst increasingly assertive Taiwanese identity.
Written by Marcus P. Chu. This article reviews Taiwan’s journey of participation in the Olympics, from the representation of the ROC to Chinese Taipei. It highlights the Nagoya Resolution and Lausanne Agreement as fundamental to Taiwan’s participation. Such a formula is challenged by recent ongoing demands for name rectification, which raises questions about Taiwan’s future in the Olympics.
Written by Gerald R. Gems. Given the politics of state-building in Asia over the last half-century, and the continuing contentious debate over Taiwanese sovereignty, sport has played (and continues to play) a significant role in the creation and perpetuation of a national identity. Japan occupied Taiwan from 1895 to 1945 as compensation after its victory over China in the war of 1895. Baseball, an American sport, had taken hold in Japan by that time, and the Japanese introduced the game to Taiwan. In time, it became the most popular spectator sport in Taiwan.
Taiwan Insight 