The Sports Affairs Council yesterday said it regretted a decision by Wu Chia-ching (吳珈慶), the nation’s top pool player, to relocate to China and take Chinese citizenship to participate in international tournaments.
Wu, 22, rose to fame after he won the world 8-ball and 9-ball championships in 2005 at the age of 15. He first courted controversy two years ago when it was discovered that he was considering applying for Singaporean citizenship to further his career.
Wu said yesterday that his decision to become a citizen of the People’s Republic of China (PRC) was made purely for professional reasons and should not be regarded in a political light.
Photo: Hsu Ming-li, Taipei Times
However, the council said Wu’s decision could have consequences.
“While the application was filed for Wu’s personal reasons … the action could have violated regulations in Taiwan, given the complicated cross-strait situation,” the council said in a statement.
Still, there were some words of encouragement.
“We respect his choice,” council spokesperson Steven Chen (陳士魁) said. “We hope that he can perform as well as other Taiwanese athletes and he has our blessings.”
While the council had no right to stop athletes from seeking a professional sports career abroad, the nation should assess whether it provides a good environment for athletes, Chen said.
“We have budgeted the Sports Development Fund (運動發展基金) to subsidize excellent athletes,” he said. “Hopefully we can retain more talented people in Taiwan.”
Chinese Taipei Billiards Association chairman Tu Yung-hui (涂永輝) said the association was unaware that Wu, 22, would represent China at the Beijing Open hosted by the World Pool-Billiard Association (WPA) on Monday until it was officially informed by the China Billiard Association (CBA) on Wednesday.
The CBA sent Tu a fax showing Wu had obtained a temporary resident identification card for the PRC, meaning that he would soon receive his official residency documents.
During a telephone interview with the Taipei Times, Wu’s uncle, who refused to give his name, but is with Wu in Beijing, accused Tu and the Chinese Taipei Billiard Association of “destroying” Wu’s career before he could accept a nationality deal offered by Singapore.
Wu’s decision was made so that he could focus on playing pool, the uncle said, adding that the CBA had never approached Wu.
“Wu … has been staying with me in Shenzhen, Guangdong Province, since March last year,” the uncle said.
Tu said he had met Wu and his father in 2009 after learning that Wu was considering becoming a Singaporean citizen.
“We told them that if he chose to go to Singapore, he could not participate in any tournament in Taiwan, nor could he represent Taiwan at any international competition,” Tu said.
Wu was also told he might be asked to return a NT$900,000 national award if he joined Singapore’s national team, Tu said.
While the association cannot guarantee an annual salary, Tu said Wu had plenty of opportunities to play in Taiwan and could easily have collected award money.
Wu went ahead with his decision to go to Singapore, Tu said as he showed reporters an agreement signed by Wu saying he understood the consequences.
ADDITIONAL REPORTING BY CNA
FREEDOM OF NAVIGATION: The UK would continue to reinforce ties with Taiwan ‘in a wide range of areas’ as a part of a ‘strong unofficial relationship,’ a paper said The UK plans to conduct more freedom of navigation operations in the Taiwan Strait and the South China Sea, British Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs David Lammy told the British House of Commons on Tuesday. British Member of Parliament Desmond Swayne said that the Royal Navy’s HMS Spey had passed through the Taiwan Strait “in pursuit of vital international freedom of navigation in the South China Sea.” Swayne asked Lammy whether he agreed that it was “proper and lawful” to do so, and if the UK would continue to carry out similar operations. Lammy replied “yes” to both questions. The
Two US House of Representatives committees yesterday condemned China’s attempt to orchestrate a crash involving Vice President Hsiao Bi-khim’s (蕭美琴) car when she visited the Czech Republic last year as vice president-elect. Czech local media in March last year reported that a Chinese diplomat had run a red light while following Hsiao’s car from the airport, and Czech intelligence last week told local media that Chinese diplomats and agents had also planned to stage a demonstrative car collision. Hsiao on Saturday shared a Reuters news report on the incident through her account on social media platform X and wrote: “I
SHIFT PRIORITIES: The US should first help Taiwan respond to actions China is already taking, instead of focusing too heavily on deterring a large-scale invasion, an expert said US Air Force leaders on Thursday voiced concerns about the Chinese People’s Liberation Army’s (PLA) missile capabilities and its development of a “kill web,” and said that the US Department of Defense’s budget request for next year prioritizes bolstering defenses in the Indo-Pacific region due to the increasing threat posed by China. US experts said that a full-scale Chinese invasion of Taiwan is risky and unlikely, with Beijing more likely to pursue coercive tactics such as political warfare or blockades to achieve its goals. Senior air force and US Space Force leaders, including US Secretary of the Air Force Troy Meink and
Czech officials have confirmed that Chinese agents surveilled Vice President Hsiao Bi-khim (蕭美琴) during her visit to Prague in March 2024 and planned a collision with her car as part of an “unprecedented” provocation by Beijing in Europe. Czech Military Intelligence learned that their Chinese counterparts attempted to create conditions to carry out a demonstrative incident involving Hsiao, which “did not go beyond the preparation stage,” agency director Petr Bartovsky told Czech Radio in a report yesterday. In addition, a Chinese diplomat ran a red light to maintain surveillance of the Taiwanese
RSS