The MAC strongly condemns China's comprehensive suppression of Taiwan's international space for sabotaging the normal development of cross-strait relations
Due to China’s ruthless suppression against Taiwan, Taiwanese students participating in the 18th International Biology Olympiad held from July 15 to 22, 2007 in Canada were prevented from carrying the national flag into the competition venue. This incident highlights that China has escalated its suppression of Taiwan’s international space even to the arena of international student competitions. The Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) expresses strong dissatisfaction over this incident and sternly condemns China for its various recent actions aimed at obstructing Taiwan's participation in the international arena.
The MAC indicates that for a long time China has incessantly engaged in the abuse of political violence against Taiwan and has obstructed Taiwan from participating in the international organizations with a view to squeezing Taiwan's survival space. This year, Beijing strongly thwarted Taiwan's bid to join the United Nations (UN) under the name of "Taiwan." Beijing has also meddled in non-political international professional exchange activities by every conceivable means. Such interference has come in the form of name changes. For example, under pressure from China, the organizers of the 2007 Venice Film Festival used “Taiwan, China” to replace “Taiwan” as the producing country of Taiwan-produced films participating in the festival; and when Taiwan's participants attended the 2007 Asian Internal Audit Conference and Seminar held in Beijing, China peremptorily changed the national name of Taiwan's delegation to “China Taiwan” in Chinese moniker. Moreover, China has spared no effort in boycotting Taiwan's contestants from carrying the national flag during various conferences. For example, at the World Cyber Games in Seattle, the Chinese team used verbal insults, physical attacks, and other means to prevent Taiwanese contestants from holding the national flag to receive prizes, further highlighting Beijing’s attempts at obstructing Taiwan internationally. This makes clear that China has resorted to every conceivable means to suppress Taiwan.
The MAC has compiled the examples of China's suppression of Taiwan in the international arena over the past three years. As shown in these examples, China has taken various abominable actions to suppress and obstruct Taiwan in the international arena, which will let the 23 million Taiwanese people and the international community clearly understand that China's promotion of its so-called "placing hopes on the Taiwanese people" and other measures is only a part of Beijing's united front tactics with the aim of “saying one way and acting another” as well as hoodwinking the international community. This will only further increase the Taiwanese people’s feelings of alienation toward China, making it impossible to ensure the normal development of cross-strait relations in the foreseeable future.