Qatar World Cup organisers alter ticket ID system that listed Taiwan as part of China
- Ticket-holders must apply for Hayya card, which doubles as a visa, but Taiwan was omitted from the online application system, then listed as ‘province of China’
- The system was later changed to include simply ‘Taiwan’, showing the Taiwanese flag, after the island’s government expressed concern
All World Cup ticket-holders must apply for the Hayya card used to identify fans, which also serves as their Qatar visa, but Taiwan’s government expressed concern after discovering the online application system made no mention of the island.
It was subsequently listed as “Taiwan, province of China”, terminology that equally angers Taiwan’s government and many of its people.
However, late on Wednesday the system began listing the island simply as “Taiwan”, complete with the Taiwanese flag.
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It marks a rare victory for Taiwan, whose government and many of its people bristle at China’s sovereignty claims.
Taiwanese foreign ministry spokeswoman Joanne Ou told reporters that this was a “positive development”, and expressed appreciation for the fast reaction by the organisers.
“We express our thanks and affirmation for this goodwill,” Ou said.
The World Cup organisers have yet to comment on the change.
China and Taiwan are separate members of football’s world governing body, Fifa, with Taiwan competing in international competitions under the name “Chinese Taipei”. Neither team qualified for this year’s World Cup.
Taiwan, who have never played at the World Cup finals, crashed out in the second round of Asian qualifying for the 2022 tournament last year after losing all of their eight matches.
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The dispute comes amid increasing efforts by Beijing to deny Taiwan status in the international arena. The Chinese government regularly condemns any contact between Taiwan and other countries, or moves that imply sovereignty for the island.
It has also pressured international companies, including airlines, hotels and clothing firms, to refer to Taiwan as a province of China on their websites and packaging.
Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin said that he was not aware of the situation.
“I would like to reiterate that Taiwan is part of China,” Wang told a regular news briefing on Wednesday in Beijing.
