Ma raps China for seizing Taiwan flags

“It was a regrettable incident,” Ma said. “It was an unfriendly...brutal and impolite gesture.”

Describing it as a “shocking and regrettable” Ma filed the strong protest through his deputy, King Pu-tsung, who was attending the event.

Chinese sports officials seized the Republic of China flags from two Taipei swimming champions, who had wrapped the flags round their shoulders as they walked toward a stage to collect their gold medals Saturday, King said upon return at the Chiang Kai-shek International Airport last night.

The children’s international sports tournament is held annually to promote friendship among youths aged 12 to 15.

Officials from the Chinese team even forcefully yanked the ROC flags out of the hands of audience members, drawing uproar from the audience.

King has lodged a protest with games organizers and demanded the return of the flags and asked the Chinese to make an apology to the organizers.

The deputy mayor said that the young athletes from Taipei captured two gold medals, one silver and two bronzes.

He said that the team has a chance to take two more golds in today’s events.

Cheng Wen-tsan, the Executive Yuan’s government information minister, said China is a country that does not know what sportsmanship is and without a “democratic culture,” as it regarded a sporting activity purely from a political perspective and violated the principle of sportsmanship in a civilized society.

Cheng said that China has always adopted a two-pronged strategy toward Taiwan — on one hand, it “wears a smiling face” but on the other it takes fierce, unrelenting steps toward stifling Taiwan’s breathing space in the international community.

“Now everyone in Taiwan has clearly witnessed China’s barbarous act,” he said, urging Taiwan’s athletes and sports officials to help maintain national dignity.

Most sports organizations do not bar athletes from wearing flags other than those formally sanctioned, Ma said.

Taiwan participates at most international sports events under the name of “Chinese Taipei” as the island is prevented from using its official name because of China’s objections.

Deputy Mayor King said when he asked the Chinese team staff why they had used violence against the Taiwanese children, a staff member told him, “we had no alternative.”

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