Taipei: The Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) announced a potential six-month to five-year ban on the Ma Ying-jeou Foundation's ability to invite Chinese delegations to Taiwan, following a controversy involving a Chinese student group's comments. The incident arose when a student referred to Taiwan's national baseball team as "the China Taipei team" during a congratulatory message for their WBSC Premier12 Championship win, sparking political tensions. According to Focus Taiwan, the remarks have drawn criticism from the ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) lawmakers, who viewed them as detrimental to Taiwan's status. Conversely, opposition Kuomintang (KMT) legislators defended the phrasing as customary language. The incident potentially breached several regulations under Paragraph 1 of Article 16 of the "Regulations Governing the Approval of Entry of People of the Mainland Area into Taiwan Area," as explained by MAC deputy head and spokesperson Liang Wen-chieh. These regulations stipulate that if an invitin g organization facilitates actions threatening national security or social stability, their applications can be denied based on the severity of the situation. The MAC plans to convene relevant agencies to determine the appropriate administrative punishment, which may include a ban on the foundation from inviting Chinese delegations for a set period. Liang emphasized the politically charged nature of the term "China Taipei," asserting it is unacceptable to the people of Taiwan and noting that former President Ma Ying-jeou would likely have opposed it during his tenure. Liang also criticized the foundation for not adequately addressing the incident after being warned by the MAC, leading to escalated tensions on the National Tsing Hua University campus. Demonstrations included displays of both Taiwan's and China's national flags, highlighting the contentious nature of the issue. Ma Ying-jeou Foundation CEO Hsiao Hsu-tsen expressed concerns that a prolonged penalty would adversely affect not only the foundatio n but also deter other organizations from engaging in similar exchanges. Hsiao's remarks were made as he escorted the Chinese students at Taoyuan International Airport on Thursday morning.
Menu