Taiwan's unprecedented two gold and three silver medals at the Athens Olympics excited the nation as a whole. President Chen Shui-bian (
So, with the Beijing Olympics only four years away, what should Taiwan do? Various approaches are already appearing. Senior presidential advisor Peng Ming-min (
Chen's talk of winning seven gold medals in the Beijing Olympics suggests that Taiwan not only intends to take part in the 2008 Games, but will also send its top athletes to create a stir there. This will certainly heighten international awareness of Taiwan. The country does not have the resources to play tough with China over the cross-strait issue, and any victory will have to be the result of strategic flexibility. There is no hurry on the issue of Taiwan's name. The question of whether or not to go to Beijing is a problem, but there are many variables to deal with in the meantime, and Taiwan has no need to make a snap decision about it.
The private sector in Taiwan is already exploring the possibility of winning the bid to host the Olympics in 2016. This is food for thought for both the government and the public. In competing for this bid, Taiwan will show itself to have a place and status in the international community, earning a higher degree of visibility within it.
Bidding to host the 2016 Olympic Games is a campaign that will require the mobilization of society as a whole. In addition to the participation of the entire sports sector, the assistance of the government and non-governmental organizations will be necessary. The process would also help consolidate Taiwanese unity and stimulate citizens' sense of honor. Of course, China's attitude will be key to a Taiwanese bid for the 2016 Olympic Games.
When Beijing was bidding for the 2008 Olympic Games, Taiwan cast its vote of approval, disregarding cross-strait tension. This allowed Beijing to stand out from its major competitors and win the bid. Therefore, this would be the best time for China to return the favor and express its goodwill toward Taiwan.
If China opposes an Olympic bid by Taiwan, the international community and the Taiwanese people will clearly see the true face of Chinese arrogance. But if Beijing supports a Taiwanese bid, and the two countries' teams were to appear side by side in Taipei, it would be the ultimate reflection of the peaceful spirit of the Olympics. The host of the 2016 Olympic Games will be decided prior to the 2008 Olympic Games. Perhaps Taiwan could decide whether to attend the event in Beijing based on China's attitude toward a Taiwanese Olympic bid.
Concerns that the US might abandon Taiwan are often overstated. While US President Donald Trump’s handling of Ukraine raised unease in Taiwan, it is crucial to recognize that Taiwan is not Ukraine. Under Trump, the US views Ukraine largely as a European problem, whereas the Indo-Pacific region remains its primary geopolitical focus. Taipei holds immense strategic value for Washington and is unlikely to be treated as a bargaining chip in US-China relations. Trump’s vision of “making America great again” would be directly undermined by any move to abandon Taiwan. Despite the rhetoric of “America First,” the Trump administration understands the necessity of
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I have heard people equate the government’s stance on resisting forced unification with China or the conditional reinstatement of the military court system with the rise of the Nazis before World War II. The comparison is absurd. There is no meaningful parallel between the government and Nazi Germany, nor does such a mindset exist within the general public in Taiwan. It is important to remember that the German public bore some responsibility for the horrors of the Holocaust. Post-World War II Germany’s transitional justice efforts were rooted in a national reckoning and introspection. Many Jews were sent to concentration camps not