TAIPEI – Taiwan is witnessing a massive display of pride after badminton stars Lee Yang and Wang Chi-lin defended their Olympic men’s doubles title against their Chinese opponents on Aug 4, in a contest that has once again thrust the island’s international status into the spotlight.
The duo, often referred to as the “Lin Yang Pair”, beat China’s Liang Weikeng and Wang Chang in a thrilling three-set contest in Paris which drew repeated chants of “Taiwan” from euphoric spectators at the Porte de la Chapelle Arena.
At home, thousands of fans erupted into cheers at public live screenings of the match held across Taiwan, including at the capital’s transport hub Taipei Main Station, with many waving the island’s flag late into the night.
“I feel so emotional. We cannot be officially known as Taiwan at the Olympics, but this is a proud moment for all Taiwanese because we’re being seen,” read a Facebook comment from a poster named Doris Kuo.
While this is not Taiwan’s first Olympic gold medal, it has taken on added significance amid heightened cross-strait tensions and the island’s struggle for international space. It is allowed to compete at the Games only as “Chinese Taipei”, not Taiwan or the Republic of China as it is officially known, to avoid objections from Beijing.
China views self-ruled Taiwan as its own territory, and has in recent years increased diplomatic pressure against the island to isolate it internationally. Taiwan has been left with only 12 official diplomatic allies after several switched recognition to China in recent years, and has been blocked by Beijing from participating in global bodies such as the World Health Organisation.
The fact that the Taiwan duo had defeated a pair from China was not lost on social media users from the island. “This shows that we can remain strong no matter how much we feel threatened by the other side (of the Taiwan Strait),” one person wrote on Instagram.
Following the game, Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te phoned Wang’s father to praise the two athletes. “They are the glory of the nation, and I call upon everyone to thank them for going all out for their country,” Mr Lai said.
Opposition politicians also weighed in, with Mr Eric Chu, chairman of the main opposition Kuomintang, writing on Facebook that the players’ “attitude of never giving up has moved people. and helped the world to see Taiwan once again”.
Assistant Professor James Yifan Chen, a political scientist at Taiwan’s Tamkang University, said that the incredible joy felt in Taiwan after the win reflects the island’s desire to be recognised internationally.
“Every winning medal from ‘Chinese Taipei’ is a reminder to the international community that Taiwan exists,” he told The Straits Times.
At the flag-raising ceremony in Paris, Lee and Wang stood at attention to what is known as the “plum blossom banner” – a white flag featuring the Olympic rings – instead of the island’s flag.
The music that accompanied that flag raising was not the island’s anthem either; instead, it shared the same melody as the island’s flag anthem, which is typically played after the island’s anthem in Taiwanese flag raising ceremonies. Officially, the version for use at the Olympics has different lyrics, but as only the music was broadcast, Taiwanese fans belted out the actual lyrics of the island’s flag anthem as Lee and Wang held back tears on the podium.
The scene contrasted sharply with that of the last Olympic Games in Tokyo in 2021 – while the Taiwanese pair had also beaten a Chinese duo to clinch gold then, there was no raucous display of emotion from the stands because there were no spectators due to Covid-19 restrictions.
Lee and Wang’s latest victory comes two days after a spectator was removed from the Olympics’ badminton venue after holding up a green banner reading “Taiwan jiayou” – or “Go Taiwan” – during a match. He was physically removed from the arena, Reuters reported, in an incident which has been condemned by Taiwan’s foreign ministry as a “violent act” that “seriously violated the spirit of civilisation represented by the Olympic Games”.
There have also been reports of spectators being asked to scrub off face paint of the Taiwan flag at the Paris Games, and several placards being confiscated for bearing the word “Taiwan” or for being in the shape of the island. Similar enforcement actions have occurred in previous Games.
According to International Olympic Committee (IOC) rules, flags or signs that support countries not participating at the Games are prohibited.
Since 1932, Taiwanese athletes have participated in the Olympics under several different names due to its changing international status.
In 1981, Taiwan, which left the United Nations in 1971 and competed in the Olympics as the Republic of China until 1976, settled on the name “Chinese Taipei” as a compromise with the IOC, to allow its athletes to compete without presenting itself as a sovereign nation.
However, this has increasingly become a sore point in Taiwan, especially among the younger generation which champions a distinct Taiwanese identity.
In 2018, a referendum was held on whether “Chinese Taipei” should be changed to “Taiwan” in international sports competitions, and that sparked warnings from Beijing. There were also protests from top Taiwanese athletes who feared that the move would lead to their being excluded from major sporting events as a result of China’s ire.
The proposal was rejected by 54.8 per cent of voters.