China still fears Taiwan
The outstanding performance of Taiwanese men’s badminton duo Wang Chi-lin (王齊麟) and Lee Yang (李洋) at the Paris Olympics has touched the hearts of countless Taiwanese. It also unintentionally revealed China’s sensitivity and fear of the name “Taiwan.”
State-run China Central Television (CCTV) canceled the broadcast of the badminton men’s doubles final for “sensitive reasons.” That not only caused an uproar among Taiwanese, but also highlighted China’s inconsistent and absurd approach to handling the “Taiwan” issue.
CCTV delayed the broadcast and did not start until the second game of the final match. The entire broadcast lasted just 40 minutes and did not include the medal ceremony.
When the broadcast was cut, Chinese sports commentator Sun Ningzhi (孫寧智) simply said there was “no signal.” That statement did not convince anyone. How could CCTV make such a basic error during such an important international event?
CCTV also deliberately did not broadcast Wang and Lee’s previous victory over another Chinese duo during the group stage of the tournament. The broadcaster’s “sensitive reasons” is just an excuse for political censorship and an attempt to cover up that it does not recognize Taiwan.
CCTV’s actions exposed the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) fear of Taiwan. Among audience members’ cheering for Taiwan during the match, one supporter held a poster with the phrase “Go Taiwan” written in Mandarin on it, before it was snatched away by a Chinese supporter.
The CCP is extremely wary of any display of a Taiwanese identity, but this cover-up attempt only reveals Beijing’s weakness and feigned confidence regarding Taiwan.
The Chinese government has long emphasized that “sports are sports and politics is politics,” but this incident makes it clear that it does not practice what it preaches. When sports involve Taiwan, the CCP unhesitatingly intervenes, putting political censorship over sportsmanship. This not only undermines fairness in sports, but also allows the international community to see China’s true colors.
Halting the broadcast once again proves China’s oversensitivity and irrationality toward Taiwan. It does nothing to help Taiwan-China relations and makes Beijing appear more closed off and authoritarian to the international community. Only by addressing Taiwan’s presence and embracing diverse values can China truly show its strength and maturity.
Anonymous
Taipei
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