Qatar World Cup organisers remove China tag on Taiwanese fan IDs after backlash
(AFP)
World Cup organisers in Qatar have removed a reference to Taiwan as a province of China, following backlash from the Taiwanese government.
The Qatari application system for fan identification cards at the 2022 tournament, which also serves as a visa to enter the country, had no listing for Taiwan on Tuesday. A Doha official stated that Taiwanese fans may choose China as their country of origin.
On Wednesday, the system subsequently added “Taiwan, Province of China” to the list, which angered Taiwanese officials. It also included a Taiwanese flag, which could trigger Chinese opposition.
China views Taiwan as a breakaway region of China, while Taiwanese leaders say that it is a sovereign state.
The application process has now been changed to refer to the island simply as “Taiwan”.
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"We express our thanks and affirmation for this goodwill," Taiwanese foreign ministry spokeswoman Joanne Ou said, commending the speed with which Qatari organisers reacted.
Qatar and Taiwan have no diplomatic relations, as Doha, like most of the world, only recognises China's sovereignty.
"Taiwan is part of China," Wang Wenbin, Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson, said in response to the change.
"We believe that the relevant parties will respect the one-China principle and resolve this matter in accordance with the consistent methods for international sporting competitions."
In most international sporting events Taiwan participates under the name of "Chinese Taipei".
China often pressures countries and companies to refer to Taiwan as "Taiwan, Province of China" or "Taiwan, China" to support its sovereignty claims.
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