TAIPEI CITY —
Taiwan on Wednesday demanded
organizers of the
FIFA World Cup in Qatar correct an official fan
identification card that labels its citizens as Chinese, and urged that
politics be kept out of sports.
اضافة اعلان
The “Hayya” fan ID card acts as a visa to enter the
country and a pass to access stadiums.
But neither Taiwan nor “Chinese Taipei” — the name used
for the island in international sports events — are listed on the online portal
as options.
China claims self-ruled, democratic Taiwan as part
of its territory, a stance Taipei firmly rejects.
The island lives under the constant threat of
invasion by
China, which Beijing has vowed to retake one day, by force if
necessary.
Taiwan’s foreign ministry said it has demanded that
organizers in Qatar correct its “unfriendly” and “improper” measures against
Taiwanese fans, said spokeswoman Joanne Ou in a statement.
“We again urge the World Cup organizers not to allow
improper political factors to interfere in a pure sports event ... to let
sports be sports and return a clean World Cup to global fans,” she said.
The issue of Taiwan’s name has cropped up in nearly
every major global sporting event, as authoritarian China baulks against even
the merest signal of the island’s sovereignty.
The sporting world’s use of the name “Chinese
Taipei” is based on a 1981 compromise made with the
International Olympic Committee
to allow Taiwan to compete on the international stage.
Hayya program chief Saeed Al-Kuwari told reporters
he “believed” the card system would list China for the nationality of Taiwanese
passport holders.
He said fans should follow the country designation
provided when the application reads the fan’s passport, rather than try to
select a nationality.
Organizers have insisted that all nationalities will
be welcomed to the tournament.
Qatar is expecting more than one million fans to visit
during the World Cup, which runs from November 21 to December 18, and all must
register for the ID card.
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