Taiwan has reversed its decision not to attend the opening and closing ceremonies of the Beijing Winter Olympics, the state-run Central News Agency reported on Tuesday.
This was after it received requests from the International Olympic Committee (IOC).
Taiwan had on Friday announced that its delegation to the Beijing Winter Olympics would not attend the opening and closing ceremonies.
It had said this was due to concerns over the COVID-19 pandemic and disrupted flight schedules.
In a statement issued late Monday however, Taiwan’s Chinese Taipei Olympic Committee said that since Saturday it had received several notifications from the IOC.
It said the notifications request all teams to the Beijing Winter Olympics to “cooperate in sending personnel to attend the opening and closing ceremonies.”
With its respect for the Olympic spirit, the committee discussed the issue with Taiwan’s sports overseer, the Sports Administration, and jointly reversed the original decision.
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Taiwan’s 15-member delegation to the Beijing Winter Olympics includes only four athletes.
Taiwan lacks the tradition of winter sports as the climate on the island ranges from tropical in the south to sub-tropical in the north.
Taiwan’s athletes have taken part in Olympic events under the name “Chinese Taipei” since the 1981 Lausanne Agreement between Taiwan and the IOC.
Taiwan has been self-governed since 1949.
But China considers the democratic island part of its territory and prevents it from appearing on the international stage in any form that could be interpreted as independent.(dpa/NAN)
