When China's legitimate seat in the United Nations was restored
in 1972 as a result of "ping pong diplomacy" and the re-opening of
Sino-U.S. relations, it still remained outside the IOC and most
other international sports organizations except the international
Table Tennis Federation, the International Ice Hockey Federation
and the International Skating Union. This was incompatible with the
rapidly changing international situation. Many persons in the
Olympic Movement wanted to make changes, recognizing that any
international organization not including a country with one quarter
of the world's population can hardly be complete.
The first organization to take action was the Asian Games
Federation (AGF). China had sent observers to the 1st Asian Games
held in New Delhi in 1951, but was barred from the 2nd-6th because,
as was the case with the Olympic Games, of the "two Chinas"
problem. When the 7th Asian Games were to be held in Tehran in
1974, the AGF had 21 member organizations, 10 of whose countries
had established diplomatic relations with the People's Republic of
China. Most of them, including those whose countries had not yet
established diplomatic relations with China, held that the AGF
should, even at the risk of being sanctioned by the IOC and
international federations (IFs), accept China as a member and
invite her to participate in the Asian Games, which would otherwise
not be worthy of the name. In September 1973, the AGF held an
executive meeting in Bangkok, at which Iran recommended that China
be represented by the All-China Sports Federation in the AGF and
Taiwan be expelled from it. Two months later, a resolution to this
effect was passed at a special council meeting by a vote of 38 for,
13 against and 5 abstentions.
During and after the 7th Asian Games, to which China sent a 385-
strong delegation, 13 Asian sports federations recognized China's
right of representation. A breakthrough was made in the long-time
blockade of Chinese athletes from the Olympic Movement, triggering
off a series of similar actions taken by the IFs for fencing,
weightlifting, basketball, wrestling, track and field, gymnastics,
etc. Now people's eyes were fixed mainly on the IOC, which is
regarded as the United Nations of sports and with which the Chinese
Olympic Committee had severed its relations since 1958 because of
the "two Chinas" problem. Would the IOC follow the UN and the Asian
sports organizations in dealing with his problem?
In 1972, IOC President Brundage was replaced by Lord Killanin of
Ireland who, with many others in the IOC, held that China should be
reinstated in the IOC and that the only way out was to solve the
Taiwan problem. According to .the Olympic Charter, only one
national organization can represent China in an international
sports organization. IOC President Killanin and Vice- President J
.A. Samaranch visited China respectively in September 1977 and
April 1978. They got a better understanding of the Chinese
government's viewpoints.
On January 1, 1979, the Standing Committee of the National
People's Congress, which is China's highest organ of state power,
promulgated the "Letter to Compatriots in Taiwan," calling on the
whole Chinese people, Taiwan's authorities included, to strive for
reunification and carry out navigation, trade and postal
communications as well as cultural and scientific exchanges between
the two sides of the Taiwan Strait The call produced a great impact
at home and abroad and created favourable conditions for the
restoration of China's seat in the IOC.
In March 1979 representatives of the Chinese Olympic Committee
(COC) invited to attend an IOC Executive Board meeting said that
they were willing to have talks with representatives from Taiwan on
the participation of Taiwanese athletes in the Olympic Games. If
they would not go to Beijing, the COC's representatives might go to
Taipei or another place for the talks. This idea aroused deep
Interest among IOC executive members.
At the IOC Executive meeting President Killanin made two
important observations. The first was that the IOC had recognized
All-China Sports Federation under the name of "Chinese Olympic
Committee." In other words, the recognition was a continuation of
the Federation's membership in the lOC. The second was that no
record could be found In the IOC's archives about its recognition
of Taiwan's "Olympic Committee." Thus it emerged that Taiwan had
never been granted formal recognition as a National Olympic
Committee (NOC}. It was decided at the meeting that a round- table
conference would be held at the IOC headquarters in Lausanne to
solve the problem of China's right of representation in the IOC.
The COC agreed to this proposal whereas Taiwan wanted to negotiate
with President Killanin before the convention of any
conference.
At the 81st IOC session held in Montevideo in 1979, the COC's
representatives answered questions raised by members who were not
clear about China's conditions and policies. Why was China's
representation as it existed in the IOC said to be abnormal? Why
was the IOC's recognition of Taiwan considered to run counter to
the 10 Charter? How was it that Hong Kong is entitled to join the
IOC while Taiwan was not? How was the jurisdiction of sports
organizations in Taiwan to be defined?
The COC's representatives pointed out that, according to the
Olympic Charter, only one National Olympic Committee can be
recognized for a country. Since Taiwan is only a part of China,
they argued, the recognition of a sports organization in Taiwan as
a national organization does not conform to the Olympic Charter.
Furthermore, the sports organization in Taiwan was into the list of
recognized NOCs in 1954 without being discussed or put to vote at
any meeting, without undergoing any legal procedure of
affiliation.
According to Olympic principles, a NOC has the right to develop
sports and make policies within its own framework. China had 30
(now 31) provinces, autonomous regions and municipalities directly
under the central government. All the local sports organizations
may develop sports within the scope of their jurisdiction.
Consequently, the COC agreed that the tasks of developing sport in
Taiwan may be assigned to the sports organizations in Taiwan. but
they argued that only one NOC could represent the whole country at
the Olympic Games and in making contacts with other NOCs.
As for Hong Kong, the COC representatives pointed out that it is
an entirely different issue not to be mentioned in the same breath
as Taiwan. Taiwan is part of Chinese territory; it is neither a
colony nor an independent area. Hong Kong is a Chinese territory,
but nowadays has a status caused by an unequal treaty in
history---historical issue that will be solved through proper
channels in future. (Hong Kong will be returned to China in 1997
according to an agreement signed by the Chinese and British
governments in 1988.)
The COC representatives reaffirmed the basic principle at the
meeting: There is only one China in the world, and that is the
People's Republic of China. Taiwan is part of Chinese territory.
Based on this principle, the IOC should recognize only one NOC for
China, and that is the Chinese Olympic Committee with its
headquarters in Beijing and representing the amateur athletes of
the whole country.
However, in consideration of the actual situation in Taiwan and
in order that the athletes there would have the opportunity to take
part in international competitions, the COC agreed that the sports
organization in Taiwan might stay in the IOC, on condition that it
would not attach "Republic of China" to its name, nor use the
appellation of "Taiwan" independently. Nor would it be allowed to
use its "national flag" and "national anthem" and anything symbolic
of the "Republic of China." The COC's approach was considered
realistic and acceptable to many IOC members.
In mid-October 1979, the Federation International de Football
Association passed a resolution that China be re-admitted and the
football organization in Taiwan use the name of Chinese Taipei.
In the latter part of the same month, at a meeting held in
Nagoya, the IOC Executive Board passed a resolution on the problem
of China's representation, confirming the COC as the representative
of the Olympic Movement in the whole of China using the national
flag and national anthem of the People's Republic of China, while
the Olympic committee in Taiwan area, as one of China's local
organizations, can only use the name of "Chinese Taipei Olympic
Committee" with its flag, anthem and emblem different from the
original ones pending IOC's approval. The resolution was passed by
the IOC members with a mail vote of 62for, 17 against and 2
abstentions. China was finally reinstated in the IOC.
The Nagoya resolution displayed, on the one hand, adherence to
the principle that there is only one China in the world and that is
the People's Republic of China, and, on the other hand, flexibility
in tactics by keeping the sports organization of Taiwan in the IOC
as one of China's local organizations, thus putting an end to the
21-year-long abnormal "two Chinas" situation.
(COC Website?? July 8, 2004)