The Political Gambit in Sports: Taiwan’s Struggles and Opportunities
Yi-Chieh Chen
In the Paris 2024 Olympics, the Taiwanese government is being given the opportunity to use ‘Taiwan’ as its name in the Cultural Olympiad. Taking part in international sports is viewed as a critical means to bolster Taiwan’s diplomatic outreach, contributing to advancing cross-strait relations and relations with other countries while promoting Taiwan internationally. Taiwan’s sports diplomacy relies on hosting international sporting events and academic events and conducting cross-strait exchange programs. Due to China’s pressure on Taiwan’s participation in the international space, the effectiveness of these strategies is limited. Taiwan consistently faces the risks of losing host rights and hostile bidding because of China’s influence in global and regional sports organizations. In the meantime, the exchange program is limited to elite athletes and student-athletes. Therefore, to optimize the use of sports diplomacy, Taipei might need to diversify its relevant policies by involving civil society more and broadening the sphere of exchange programs.
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