THE QUESTION OF whether the Beijing Olympics can be compared to the 1936 Berlin Olympics has recently become a popular topic of conversation. Watching the opening ceremony, where renowned Chinese director Zhang Yimou (張藝謀) mobilized a large number of performers to extol ancient Chinese culture, it was hard not to think of the well-known documentary Leni Riefenstahl made about the Berlin Olympics.
Certainly, anyone comparing the Beijing Olympics with the Berlin Olympics is not doing so out of good will to Beijing. After all, Hitler used the Berlin Olympics, where Germany grabbed the most gold medals, to furbish the reputation of the Nazis before launching what developed into World War II. Those who loathe China have rushed to compare these two Olympic events, while those who support it have denounced such comparisons as meaningless.
Speaking of the Berlin Olympics, a competitor who is neither Taiwanese nor Chinese comes to mind — Sohn Kee-chung, the first Korean to win an Olympic gold at the Berlin Olympics marathon. Korea was then occupied by Japan, so Sohn represented Japan at the event. However, when the Japanese flag was raised at the awarding eremony, he hid the Japanese flag on his shirt with a laurel awarded as part of the ceremony. Sohn made it clear during an interview that Korea was his home country. This made him a Korean national hero, and he was the one who carried the Olympic torch at the 1988 Seoul Olympics.
What does this Korean national hero have to do with Taiwan? I was born in the 1960s and Sohn’s story was included in elementary textbooks then. The story was introduced in Taiwan because the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) government hoped that the Taiwanese, who had also been colonized by Japan, would emulate Sohn’s national consciousness and cast off the shadow of Japanese colonialism to become full and dignified Republic of China nationals.
This story appears rather embarrassing in the context of the Beijing Olympics. The national title, “Republic of China,” is all but invisible and Taiwanese athletes can only be “full and dignified” representatives of Zhonghua Taibei (中華台北, Chinese Taipei).
Some supporters of the old party-state regime have called on Taiwanese athletes to follow the example of Sohn by displaying Taiwan’s “real flag” if they win. It is ironic then to see top-ranking leaders of the KMT — the party that established the old party-state system — shaking hands with Chinese President Hu Jintao (胡錦濤) and telling the Taiwanese public that Taiwan has the “home advantage” in Beijing. This makes one wonder which national flag the athletes should display when they win a medal.
The spirit of nationalism abounds in this type of sporting event, where countries compete with one another. But with Taiwan still confused over its own national identity, what type of nationalism should it display — Taiwanese or Chinese? This is the tragedy of Taiwan.
Wang Yu-fong is a director of the North Pingtung Community College.
TRANSLATED BY TED YANG
Trying to force a partnership between Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC) and Intel Corp would be a wildly complex ordeal. Already, the reported request from the Trump administration for TSMC to take a controlling stake in Intel’s US factories is facing valid questions about feasibility from all sides. Washington would likely not support a foreign company operating Intel’s domestic factories, Reuters reported — just look at how that is going over in the steel sector. Meanwhile, many in Taiwan are concerned about the company being forced to transfer its bleeding-edge tech capabilities and give up its strategic advantage. This is especially
US President Donald Trump’s second administration has gotten off to a fast start with a blizzard of initiatives focused on domestic commitments made during his campaign. His tariff-based approach to re-ordering global trade in a manner more favorable to the United States appears to be in its infancy, but the significant scale and scope are undeniable. That said, while China looms largest on the list of national security challenges, to date we have heard little from the administration, bar the 10 percent tariffs directed at China, on specific priorities vis-a-vis China. The Congressional hearings for President Trump’s cabinet have, so far,
US political scientist Francis Fukuyama, during an interview with the UK’s Times Radio, reacted to US President Donald Trump’s overturning of decades of US foreign policy by saying that “the chance for serious instability is very great.” That is something of an understatement. Fukuyama said that Trump’s apparent moves to expand US territory and that he “seems to be actively siding with” authoritarian states is concerning, not just for Europe, but also for Taiwan. He said that “if I were China I would see this as a golden opportunity” to annex Taiwan, and that every European country needs to think
For years, the use of insecure smart home appliances and other Internet-connected devices has resulted in personal data leaks. Many smart devices require users’ location, contact details or access to cameras and microphones to set up, which expose people’s personal information, but are unnecessary to use the product. As a result, data breaches and security incidents continue to emerge worldwide through smartphone apps, smart speakers, TVs, air fryers and robot vacuums. Last week, another major data breach was added to the list: Mars Hydro, a Chinese company that makes Internet of Things (IoT) devices such as LED grow lights and the
RSS