Taiwan condemns Chinese harassment of athletes at Universiade in Germany as "Political Interference"

Taipei [Taiwan], July 24 : Taiwan's government and opposition have criticised an event involving two Chinese individuals who reportedly harassed Taiwanese athletes at the 2025 Universiade in Germany, with Premier Cho Jung-tai labelling the act as "political interference," according to Central News Agency (CNA).

The Chinese effort to block the delivery of congratulatory messages from the Taiwanese government to medal-winning athletes was described as a "blatant provocation," quoted by Cabinet spokesperson Michelle Lee during a briefing in Taipei on Thursday. The congratulatory message, signed by Minister of Education Cheng Ying-yao, was meant for taekwondo athletes Hung Jiun-yi, Jung Jiun-jie, and Huang Cho-cheng, who earned silver in the men's team kyorugi, a Taekwondo event, on Wednesday.

This trio represents Taiwan's national team competing in the Summer World University Games held in the Rhine-Ruhr metropolitan area of Germany from July 16 to July 27.

Cho asserted that the messages from the Ministry of Education were official recognition of the athletes' exceptional performances on the global stage, accusing the Chinese individuals of "political interference" that disregarded the accomplishments of Taiwanese athletes. President Lai Ching-te also weighed in on the incident, stating in a social media message that he "strongly condemned" the harassment, which he remarked "went against" the principles of sportsmanship and the Universiade's values of openness and respect, according to CNA.

Lai further expressed that the Taiwanese people "will continue to confront provocations and pressures with composure and confidence, fostering greater understanding and respect from the global community." Footage shared on social media depicts a man and a woman, both believed to be Chinese, though their identities remain unknown, trying to stop Taiwan's Sports Administration head, James Cheng, from delivering the messages to the athletes on the podium.

At one point, the woman questioned whether the Ministry of Education's messages referred to Taiwan's team as "Chinese Taipei" and accused the Taiwanese delegation of breaking the rules. Meanwhile, James Cheng and senior sports official Lan Kun-tien made repeated attempts to prevent the pair from getting close to the athletes, the CNA report detailed.

Conflicts over Taiwan's designation, including references to "Taiwan" or its official name, the Republic of China, commonly stem from Beijing's efforts to enforce its "one China" principle, under which it views Taiwan as part of its territory. Consequently, Taiwanese athletes frequently encounter political pressure or restrictions when trying to assert their national identity at international competitions, as noted by the CNA report.

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