Taiwan Groups Push for "Taiwan" Name Ahead of Nagoya Asian Games
Overseas Taiwanese and pro-Taiwan Japanese groups rallied in Nagoya demanding Taiwan compete as "Taiwan" instead of "Chinese Taipei," a boost for Taiwan's identity push but a fresh flashpoint with Beijing right before the Asian Games open.
- Demonstrators gathered at Nagoya Station chanting "Taiwan is Taiwan, not Chinese Taipei."
- The "Chinese Taipei" name dates back to a 1979 Olympic committee meeting held in the same city, and campaigners want a new "Nagoya resolution" to undo it.
- They are asking organizers to stop confiscating flags, banners, and shirts printed with "Taiwan," and are collecting signatures to let Taiwan compete under its own name at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.
- Tensions are already running high: a banner at Taiwan's athlete support station was defaced, and Taiwan's sports minister Lee Yang was briefly barred from the team's flag-raising ceremony before organizers apologized and blamed a communication mix-up with the Olympic Council of Asia.
Outlook: Expect more clashes over Taiwan's name and symbols during the Games, with the campaign shifting its focus to the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics afterward.