At an Asian Games volleyball match in Nagoya, a spectator who took out a Republic of China flag to cheer on Taiwan was stopped by a staff member — a negative story for Taiwan, and one that has put the organisers under pressure within Japan.

• Taiwan's men's volleyball team lost its group-stage match against China on the 27th. A spectator at the side of the court placed a small national flag on their lap and was immediately told to put it away by a staff member believed to be of Chinese nationality.
• Footage from the scene shows the staff member shaking their head and gesturing towards the exit, as though trying to remove the person from the venue. The spectator eventually put the flag away.
• Posts about the incident circulated on Threads in three languages, drawing more than 2 million views and over 2,000 comments.
• Large numbers of Japanese netizens criticised the organisers for favouring China. One said bluntly, "As a resident of Aichi Prefecture, I feel sorry for the Taiwanese people," while others questioned how such a thing could happen in Japan.

Outlook: As the incident continues to spread, the organisers may face questions over their flag rules and their management of on-site personnel, and the flag dispute between Taiwan, Japan and China is unlikely to subside in the near term.