Image: Reuters Berita 24 English - Thursday, Taiwan's Foreign Ministry expressed gratitude to the World Cup organisers in Qatar for rem...
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| Image: Reuters |
Berita 24 English - Thursday, Taiwan's Foreign Ministry expressed gratitude to the World Cup organisers in Qatar for removing a reference to China for Taiwanese travellers registering for an identification card that also serves as an entry visa.
All World Cup ticketholders must apply for the Hayya card, which serves as both an identification card and a visa for Qatar, but Taiwan's authorities expressed worry after learning that the online application system made no mention of the island.
It was afterwards renamed "Taiwan, Province of China," a designation that both the Taiwanese government and many of its citizens despise.
The system, however, began listing the island simply as "Taiwan" late Wednesday, replete with the Taiwanese flag.
It is a rare success for Taiwan, whose government and many citizens oppose China's claims to sovereignty.
Joanne Ou, a spokesperson for the Taiwanese Foreign Ministry, told reporters that this was a "good development" and thanked the organisers for their quick response.
"For this benevolence, we convey our gratitude and affirmation," Ou added.
The organisers of the World Cup have yet to remark on the move.
When asked about Taiwan authorities' objections to the Qatar World Cup organisers, Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin reiterated on Wednesday that "Taiwan is part of China."
To circumvent political concerns, Taiwan competes as "Chinese Taipei" in most international sporting events such as the Olympics. Although Taiwan did not qualify for the Qatar World Cup, soccer is a popular sport in the country.
Taiwan has never qualified for a World Cup final and was eliminated in the second round of Asian qualifying for the 2022 edition after losing all eight matches last year.
Qatar, like other countries, recognises only China's government and has no diplomatic relations with Taiwan.
China has increased pressure on governments and foreign firms to refer to Taiwan as part of China in official papers and on websites, frequently using the terms "Taiwan, Province of China" or "Taiwan, China."
