History of Chinese Taipei in Timeline

Chinese Taipei is the designation used for teams and delegations representing Taiwan (Republic of China) in many international events and organizations. This term is primarily used for political reasons due to the complex relationship between Taiwan and the People's Republic of China. The designation allows Taiwan to participate without explicitly using its official name or symbols, avoiding potential objections from China, which claims Taiwan as a province.

1912: Republic of China

In 1912, the Republic of China was established.

1945: End of Japanese Rule in Taiwan

In 1945, Japanese rule in Taiwan, which began in 1895, ended with Japan's surrender at the end of World War II.

1949: End of Chinese Civil War and Nationalist Retreat to Taiwan

In 1949, the Chinese Civil War concluded, leading the nationalist Republic of China government to retreat to Taiwan.

1949: Establishment of the People's Republic of China

In 1949, the People's Republic of China (PRC) was established, and the Republic of China (ROC) government retreated to Taiwan.

1954: IOC recognizes both PRC and ROC

In 1954, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) recognized both the People's Republic of China (PRC) and the Republic of China (ROC) Olympic Committees.

1955: Exclusion of Islands in Defense Treaty

In 1955, a defense treaty excluded other islands or archipelagos under the control of the Republic of China, such as Kinmen and the Matsu Islands.

1958: PRC withdraws from IOC

In 1958, the PRC withdrew its membership from the IOC and nine other international sports organizations in protest against the two-Chinas policy.

1960: Formosa Used at the Summer Olympics

In 1960, the name "Formosa" was used to represent Taiwan at the Summer Olympics.

1964: Taiwan Used at the Summer Olympics

In 1964, the name "Taiwan" was used at the Summer Olympics.

1968: Taiwan Used at the Summer Olympics

In 1968, the name "Taiwan" was used at the Summer Olympics.

1971: Expulsion from the UN

In 1971, Taiwan was expelled from the United Nations, due to the One China policy of the People's Republic of China.

1971: Recognition by the United Nations

In 1971, the People's Republic of China (PRC) was accorded recognition by the United Nations, leading to a shift in diplomatic relations from Taipei to Beijing.

1971: People's Republic of China Replaces Republic of China at UN

In 1971, the People's Republic of China replaced the Republic of China as the exclusive legitimate representative of "China" at the United Nations, leading to a growing support for the use of "Taiwan" in place of "China" to refer to the Republic of China.

1971: WHO Participation

Since 1971, Taiwan has participated as an invited guest in the World Health Organization (WHO) under the name of Chinese Taipei.

1975: PRC Applies to Rejoin IOC

In 1975, the PRC applied to rejoin the IOC as the sole sports organization representing the whole China.

1976: Killanin Establishes a Commission

Following the 1976 Montreal Olympics, IOC President Lord Killanin established a commission to examine the issue of "Two Chinas."

1976: ROC Withdraws from Summer Olympics

In 1976, the ROC team, competing under the name of Republic of China at the previous Olympics, was refused the right to represent itself as the "Republic of China", or use "China" in its name by the government of the host country, Canada, at the Summer Olympics and withdrew from the event.

January 1, 1979: Definition of "Taiwan" in Taiwan Relations Act

On January 1, 1979, The United States officially defines the term "Taiwan" to "include...the islands of Taiwan and the Pescadores...and the governing authorities on Taiwan recognized by the United States as the Republic of China.

April 1979: 81st IOC Session

In April 1979, at the 81st IOC Session in Montevideo, the IOC officially recognized the Olympic Committee of the PRC while continuing to acknowledge the Olympic Committee based in Taipei, though problems relating to names, anthems and flags remained.

October 1979: IOC Executive Board Meeting in Nagoya

In October 1979, during the IOC Executive Board meeting held in Nagoya, the Olympic Committee in Beijing was designated as the Chinese Olympic Committee, while the Olympic Committee in Taipei was designated as the Chinese Taipei Olympic Committee.

November 1979: ROC Protest Against Nagoya Resolution

From November 1979, the ROC Olympic Committee and Taiwan's IOC member, Henry Hsu, filed lawsuits against the IOC for annulment of the Nagoya Resolution.

November 1979: Approval of the Nagoya Resolution

In November 1979, the Nagoya Resolution was approved by the IOC members, which designated the Olympic Committee in Beijing as the Chinese Olympic Committee and the Olympic Committee in Taipei as the Chinese Taipei Olympic Committee.

1979: First Proposed Term

In 1979, the term 'Chinese Taipei' was first proposed.

1979: Nagoya Resolution

In 1979, the text of the IOC's Nagoya Resolution used the name Taipei de Chine suggesting the state meaning of "Chinese" in French.

1980: Boycott of Winter and Summer Games

In 1980, Taiwanese officials boycotted the Winter and Summer Games in protest of not being allowed to use the ROC's official name, flag and national anthem.

1980: IOC Amends Olympic Charter

In 1980, the IOC amended the Olympic Charter allowing all National Olympic Committees (NOCs) to use delegation flags and anthems, instead of national ones.

1981: Agreement on Name

Before signing the agreement between the IOC and the Chinese Taipei Olympic Committee in 1981, representatives of two committees decided that the French name need not be stated, and only the English name would be used in the future IOC official documents.

1981: ROC Government Accepts "Chinese Taipei" Name

In 1981, the ROC government formally accepted the name "Chinese Taipei".

1981: Official Use of 'Chinese Taipei'

In 1981, the term 'Chinese Taipei' came into official use following a name change of the Republic of China Olympic Committee to the Chinese Taipei Olympic Committee.

1981: Lausanne Agreement

On March 23, 1981, the Lausanne Agreement was signed, specifying the name, flag, and emblem of the Chinese Taipei Olympic Committee (CTOC).

1983: National Flag Anthem Chosen

In 1983, the National Flag Anthem of the Republic of China was chosen as the anthem of the Chinese Taipei delegation.

1984: First Appearance at Winter Olympics

Since the 1984 Winter Olympics, Taiwan has competed under the name Chinese Taipei and a specific flag at each Games, as well as other international events.

1989: Hong Kong Pact

In 1989, the two Olympic committees signed a pact in Hong Kong where the PRC agreed to use the ROC's translation in international sports-related occasions hosted in China.

1990: Chinese Taipei Name in Chinese-language region

Just before the 1990 Asian Games, an agreement was needed as Taiwan would officially participate under the Chinese Taipei name in a Chinese-language region for the first time.

1991: Fewer Taiwanese Identify as Taiwanese

In 1991, only 13.6% of citizens in Taiwan saw themselves as Taiwanese, not Chinese. This is in stark contrast to later years, where the percentage of people who identify as Taiwanese increased dramatically.

1998: Miss World Renaming

In 1998, the government of the PRC pressured the Miss World Organization to rename Miss Republic of China 1998 to "Miss Chinese Taipei".

2000: Miss Universe Renaming

In 2000, the government of the PRC pressured the Miss Universe Organization to rename Miss Republic of China to "Miss Chinese Taipei".

2004: Movement to Change Team Name to "Taiwan"

Around the time of the 2004 Summer Olympics, a movement began in Taiwan to change media references of the ROC team to "Taiwan", reflecting the growing Taiwanese identity.

2005: Miss Earth Change of Label

In 2005, Miss Earth initially allowed Taiwanese contestant to compete as "Miss Taiwan"; a week into the pageant, however, the contestant's sash was updated to "Taiwan ROC".

2008: Chinese State Media uses Agreed Upon Translation

During the 2008 Summer Olympics, Chinese state media used the agreed-upon Zhōnghuá Táiběi both internationally and in domestic press.

2008: Miss Earth Changes Label to Chinese Taipei

In 2008, Miss Earth changed the country's label to Chinese Taipei.

2015: "Other non-specified areas" in UN Population Projections

In 2015, the United Nations published population projections for each nation, with nations grouped under geographic area; the East Asia group contained an entry named "Other non-specified areas" referring to Taiwan.

2016: Taiwanese National Identity Surges

In 2016, a significant shift in national identity was observed in Taiwan, with over 80% of citizens identifying as Taiwanese rather than Chinese. This change reflects a growing Taiwanese national identity and a re-evaluation of historical labels.

2017: Name Change to "Taiwan, Province of China" by UN

In 2017, the United Nations updated the name of the entry in its population projections to "Taiwan, Province of China", which is the UN's preferred name.

2017: Criticism of "Chinese Taipei" Label at Universiade

In 2017, the use of the "Chinese Taipei" label faced renewed criticism during the run-up to the Summer Universiade hosted in Taiwan. An English-language guide was criticized for avoiding the name "Taiwan" even when referring to geographical features.

February 2018: Referendum Proposal for "Taiwan" Name

In February 2018, civic organizations proposed a referendum to change Taiwan's name to "Taiwan" for international sports events, including the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. This proposal influenced the EAOC to revoke Taichung's right to host the East Asian Youth Games.

2018: Objection to Names Including "China"

In 2018, Taiwan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs objected to the term "Chinese Taipei" along with other names including "Taiwan, China", "Taipei, China" and "Chinese Taiwan" in guidelines issued.

2018: Referendum Rejection of Name Change

In 2018, Taiwanese people voted to reject the proposal to change their official Olympic-designated name from Chinese Taipei to Taiwan, fearing potential loss of Olympic membership due to Chinese pressure.

2018: Referendum on Name Change Rejected

In 2018, a nationwide referendum on changing the formal name from 'Chinese Taipei' to 'Taiwan' for representation in the Olympic Games was rejected.

2019: Stripped of rights to host the East Asian Youth Games

In 2019, Taiwan was stripped of the right to host the 2019 East Asian Youth Games amid its renaming issue with China.

2020: Differing Media References During 2020 Summer Olympics

During the 2020 Summer Olympics, most TV channels referred to the ROC as Team Zhonghua, while some preferred Team Taiwan, showing a division in media representation.

2020: Shift in Term Usage by State Media

During the 2020 Summer Olympics, state media began using Zhōngguó Táiběi domestically 93% of the time.

2020: Proposed Referendum for 2020 Tokyo Olympics

In February 2018, a referendum was proposed for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, asking if the nation should apply under the name of "Taiwan" for all international sports events. The IOC disapproved the altered name and warned the Chinese Taipei Olympic Committee that it may disbar Taiwan from Olympic competitions.

2021: Rejection of 2024 Summer Olympics Proposal

In 2021, a proposal for the 2024 Summer Olympics was rejected by Taiwan's CEC due to concerns about its applicability under the Referendum Act of Taiwan.

2022: Controversy at 2022 Winter Olympics

During the 2022 Winter Olympics opening ceremony, there was a discrepancy in the naming of Taiwan's delegation, with the broadcast cutting away to a clip of General Secretary of the Chinese Communist Party Xi Jinping when Taiwan's delegation paraded as Zhōnghuá Táiběi.