Taiwanese badminton men’s doubles pair “Linyang Pei” won the gold medal match in the Paris Olympic Games on the 2nd, but a Taiwan fan holding a “Taiwan Add Oil” sign was snatched by a Chinese man at the venue. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of China strongly condemned the violent behavior.
In the men’s badminton doubles match of the Paris Olympics on the 2nd, the Taiwanese pair “Linyang Pei” Li Yang and Wang Qilin competed against the Danish pair Kim Astrup and Anders Skaarup Rasmussen. Many fans came to cheer that day, “Linyang Pei” defeated the Danish duo 2-1, advancing to the gold medal defense match. However, an incident occurred in the audience where a Taiwan student studying in France, Yang Zhiyun, had her Taiwan-shaped poster with “Taiwan Add Oil” snatched by a Chinese man.
Cheng Shizhong, Director of the Sports Administration of the Republic of China, and Wu Zhizhong, Representative of the Republic of China in France, expressed condolences to Yang Zhiyun. Cheng Shizhong wrote on Facebook that they encountered the Taiwanese girl who had her “Taiwan Add Oil” poster snatched at the Olympic badminton court, not only inquiring about any injuries but also presenting commemorative items on behalf of the delegation. The Taiwanese girl also cheered for the Taiwan team.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of China released a press statement regarding the incident where a Taiwanese held a poster with the slogan “Taiwan Add Oil” during the badminton men’s doubles match involving “Linyang Pei” at the Olympics on August 2, and it was violently snatched by malicious individuals. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs strongly condemned the rude and despicable means by which malicious individuals forcibly seized the “Taiwan Add Oil” sign from Taiwanese hands at the Olympics. This violent act not only lacks decorum but also seriously violates the civilized spirit represented by the Olympics, deviating from the rule of law and encroaching on freedom of speech.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has instructed the Republic of China’s mission in France to seek assistance from relevant parties to prevent such violent incidents from happening again and to ensure the safety of the audience. Representative Wu Zhizhong also met with the Taiwanese individual, and the mission will continue to cooperate with the individual’s wishes to assist in filing a report with the French police.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs reiterated that all parties should adhere to the Olympic spirit of excellence, friendship, and respect, abide by the regulations of the International Olympic Committee and the laws of the host country, maintain peace and rationality, and respect each other while watching the matches. This is also a sign of respect for the athletes from various countries. Additionally, regarding the incident where a Taiwanese with a towel bearing the word “Taiwan” during the match had it confiscated by on-site security, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has instructed the mission to report the excessive enforcement to the organizers.