World Cup organisers bow to China, changes nationality of Taiwanese visitor’s on ID card to “Chinese Taipei” 

DHARAMSALA 22 June: Days after removing a reference to China for Taiwanese fans at the 2022 FIFA World Cup to be held in Qatar, the organisers have performed a U-turn and changed their nationality to “Chinese Taipei”.

Hayya card, which is mandatory for all the World Cup ticket holders to apply for as it is used to identify fans and doubles as an entry visa has initially listed the island as, ‘Taiwan, Province of China’  but was later changed to “Taiwan”, complete with a Taiwanese flag after Taiwan’s government complaint to the organisers of the world cup last week.

However, the listing has changed again, to “Chinese Taipei,” the name Taiwan uses to compete in most international sporting events like the Olympics to avoid political problems, CNN reported. 

While China’s Foreign Ministry has applauded the Qatari government’s “adherence to the one-China principle and its handling of relevant matters in accordance with the usual practices of international sports events, ” Taiwan’s Foreign Ministry has condemned the move and accused China of bullying besides declaring the organisers were “unable to strictly reject the intervention of improper political forces,” the report added.

Taiwan has further said that China is engaged in “bullying”, and “has repeatedly and blatantly used its fictitious ‘One-China Principle’ to continue to belittle Taiwan internationally and create the false impression that Taiwan belongs to China.”

Though football is popular in Taiwan, the Taiwanese National team failed to qualify for the Qatar world cup which is scheduled to be held from 21 November to 18 December 2022. The self-ruled island usually competes at most international sporting events such as the Olympics as “Chinese Taipei” to avoid political problems.

Beijing claims self-ruled and democratic Taiwan as its own and views it as a wayward province to be reunified with China by force if necessary.

Taiwan has been self-governed since 1949 when Chiang Kai-shek’s Kuomintang troops fled to the island after losing China’s civil war to Mao’s Communist Party.