Taiwan Protests Against China’s Economic Pressure Over Olympic Flag Incident
Beijing, China – Taiwan has launched a strong protest against Beijing for using economic pressure to interfere in the politics of the self-governed island. This comes after a Taipei-based hotel chain, Evergreen Group, apologized for excluding the Chinese flag from Olympic decorations at its Paris hotel earlier this month.
According to Taiwan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, China has been coercing foreign businesses into adhering to its political goals through boycotts, penalties, tax audits, and regulatory infractions. The ministry stated that Beijing’s actions undermine the rules-based international order and normal business practices.
The controversy began when a Chinese influencer posted on TikTok on August 13, expressing his displeasure at the absence of the Chinese flag in the lobby of the Evergreen Laurel Hotel in Paris. Following this, several Chinese travel portals removed the Shanghai and Paris locations of the Evergreen Laurel Hotel from their booking platforms.
In its apology, Evergreen Group stated that it supports the “1992 consensus” and opposes Taiwanese independence. The “1992 consensus” is an agreement between the Chinese government and the Kuomintang (KMT) administration of Taiwan, recognizing that there is only “one China,” but allowing each party to define what that entails.
China’s ruling Communist Party claims Taiwan as part of its territory and has vowed to take the island by force if necessary, despite never having controlled it.
On Saturday, Taiwan’s Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) issued a statement strongly protesting and condemning the Chinese Communist Party for manipulating nationalism, inciting netizens to bully and pressure Taiwanese enterprises, and engaging in economic coercion.
Doubts Revealed
Taiwan -: Taiwan is an island near China. It has its own government, but China says it is part of China.
China -: China is a big country in Asia. It has a lot of people and is very powerful.
Economic Pressure -: Economic pressure means using money or business actions to make someone do what you want.
Olympic Flag Incident -: This means a problem happened because of a flag at the Olympics, which are big sports games.
Evergreen Group -: Evergreen Group is a company that owns hotels and other businesses.
Chinese Flag -: The Chinese flag is the national flag of China. It is red with five yellow stars.
Paris -: Paris is the capital city of France, a country in Europe.
Ministry of Foreign Affairs -: This is a part of the government that deals with other countries.
Coercing -: Coercing means making someone do something by using force or threats.
TikTok -: TikTok is an app where people share short videos.
Mainland Affairs Council -: This is a part of Taiwan’s government that deals with issues related to China.
Economic Coercion -: Economic coercion means using money or business actions to force someone to do something.
