TAIPEI (Reuters) – Taiwan’s group for the Beijing Winter Olympics shall be on the opening and shutting ceremonies after being instructed by the Worldwide Olympic Committee it was required to take part.
Chinese language-claimed Taiwan has feared Beijing may “downgrade” Taiwan’s standing by placing its athletes alongside these from Chinese language-run Hong Kong on the opening ceremony, a senior Taiwan official acquainted with the matter instructed Reuters final week.
Sub-tropical Taiwan, which has no winter sporting custom and has by no means gained a medal on the winter Video games, is sending 4 athletes to Beijing, the identical quantity because the final winter Video games in 2018.
Taiwan had mentioned on Friday the group wouldn’t be on the opening or closing ceremonies, blaming delayed flights and hard anti-COVID-19 guidelines.
However Taiwan’s Olympic committee mentioned late Monday it had acquired “a number of notices” from the Worldwide Olympic Committee (IOC) “requiring all delegations to the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics to cooperate in sending personnel to attend the opening and shutting ceremonies”.
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Based mostly on its respect of the Olympic spirit and after discussions with Taiwan’s Sports activities Administration, they’ll “modify” the plan and “cooperate with the coverage to ship employees to attend the opening and shutting ceremonies”.
It didn’t say how most of the 15-member group, together with trainers, can be there.
The Beijing Video games are occurring amid heightened tensions between China and Taiwan, together with repeated Chinese language army exercise close to the island.
Taiwan competes in most sporting occasions, together with the Olympics, as “Chinese language Taipei” on the insistence of Beijing, which sees democratically ruled Taiwan as a part of “one China”.
On Wednesday, China’s Taiwan Affairs Workplace referred to Taiwan’s group as being from “China, Taipei”, quite than the official terminology of “Chinese language Taipei”.
That drew a rebuke from Taiwan’s China-policy making Mainland Affairs Council, which mentioned China deliberately used the flawed title.
(Reporting by Ben Blanchard. Modifying by Gerry Doyle)
Copyright 2022 Thomson Reuters.