Representing Taiwan: International sport, ethnicity and national identity in the Republic of China

Abstract

This article outlines and analyses the political character of Taiwan’s relationship with international sport, and in particular with the Olympic movement. In so doing, it seeks to add to the understanding of the links between sport and the formation and reproduction of national identities, with specific reference to the various cultural and ethnic identities of Taiwan, and to contribute to a more nuanced understanding of the relationship between ethnic and civic nationalism. The idea of the ‘New Taiwanese’ involves an ethnically divided people coming to see themselves as a cohesive group (Wong, 2001). Success in international sport can contribute to this process as it has in other post-colonial settings. Precisely how national identity formation in Taiwan will further develop, however, is difficult, if not impossible, to predict. What is certain, however, is that sport will continue to play a significant role in the unfolding process.