Taiwan supporters cheer athletes on at Olympics without flags nor banners
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00:00In Taiwan, fans wave their blue and red national flag to cheer on the Olympic team.
00:05But in the host city of Paris, it's a different story.
00:08With Taiwanese flags banned from the Olympics since 1981,
00:12supporters have been forced to get creative.
00:15But even that can sometimes spell trouble.
00:17When this fan unfurled this homemade map of Taiwan inside one of the stadiums,
00:22she was quickly surrounded.
00:23First by a security guard,
00:25and then by a crowd member who ripped the poster from her hands.
00:28Taiwanese social media now flooded with art
00:31that shows her standing defiant in the face of this assault.
00:35I'm really surprised and I'm really sad and angry.
00:38We're not doing anything wrong.
00:39Why would we be treated like this?
00:43Back at home, a moment of unity across political divides.
00:47With Taiwan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs lodging complaints with the IOC
00:50regarding the treatment of supporters,
00:52the main Kuomintang opposition party has also voiced support for fans.
00:57Taiwan's a democratic and free country
00:59and every political figure respects the public's expression of national identity.
01:02In the 1960s, Taiwan competed using its formal name, the Republic of China.
01:07But as Beijing's pressure grew,
01:09it was forced to adopt the moniker Chinese Taipei and this white flag instead.
01:16Of course, we hope to use our national flag to compete on the international stage.
01:19But given the current international situation,
01:22we must make a compromise for the sake of our athletes' rights,
01:25and that is Chinese Taipei.
01:28Back in Taipei's main station, fans watch as Taiwan, or Chinese Taipei,
01:32beats China to receive its first gold medal at the Paris Games.
01:37While most supporters want Taiwan to compete under its own flag,
01:40others take a more pragmatic approach.
01:44We should bravely show what kind of flag we should carry
01:47and not be restricted by the other side.
01:50It's OK if we don't have the flag.
01:51We can win the championship.
01:53But with no national anthem or flag present
01:56as the victorious athletes take to the podium in Paris,
01:59for many in Taiwan, this victory is bittersweet.