China sports activity participation restricted
By Liang Wei-ming and William Hetherington / Staff reporter, with staff writer
The Ministry of Sports has amended and promulgated the Regulations Governing Cross-Strait Sports Exchanges (兩岸體育交流處理規範), strengthening restrictions on how Taiwanese athletes participate in sporting activities involving China.
The regulations, first established by the former National Council on Physical Fitness and Sports in 1998, serve as a key guideline for cross-strait sports exchanges. They have been amended five times, including this revision.
In addition to changes stemming from government restructuring and updates to references to relevant laws and regulations, the main amendment adds provisions to Article 7 explicitly stating that Taiwanese may not compete in international sporting events as members of China’s national teams.
Minister of Sports Lee Yang attends a news conference in Taipei on July 14.
Photo: CNA
The ministry said that serving as an athlete on China’s national team involves issues of national identity and contravenes Article 33 of the Act Governing Relations Between the People of the Taiwan Area and the Mainland Area (臺灣地區與大陸地區人民關係條例), as well as related restrictions on holding positions.
The amendment incorporates the intent of the relevant laws into Article 7, establishing a policy red line for cross-strait sports exchanges, the ministry said.
The ministry reiterated that public and private organizations and individuals in Taiwan conducting cross-strait sports exchanges should uphold the principles of “equality, dignity and mutual respect,” and engage in mutually beneficial interactions within the professional sphere of sports.
The ministry would also continue to follow guidance from the Mainland Affairs Council and use various channels to promote the cross-strait act, the regulations and the latest cross-strait policies among sports organizations and schools, it said.
The ministry urged organizations invited to China for exchanges to maintain a strong awareness of potential risks and carefully examine the backgrounds of organizers, itineraries and promotional materials.
They should not participate in activities with “united front” objectives or nationwide events organized by Chinese authorities, and must not join China’s national teams as athletes, the ministry said, urging them to protect their individual rights and Taiwan’s sovereignty.
KioskNews shows a cleaned-up reading view extracted from the publisher’s page — the original always lives on their site, not ours.