Author: Taiwan APPG

As the co-chairs of the British-Taiwanese All-Party Parliamentary Group, we are dismayed to learn that members of East Asian Olympic Committee (EAOC) voted in an extraordinary Council meeting in Beijing on 24 July to revoke the right of Taichung City to host the first-ever East Asian Youth Games (EAYG) in Taiwan from 24 to 31 August in 2019.

This resolution not only ignores the rights of the 2,300 athletes and delegation members from the nine countries and regions in East Asia, but also violates the Olympic spirit that athletes from countries and regions around the world should conduct exchanges through fair competition. It also violates the EAOC’s Constitution, which stipulated “to promote the Olympic Movement in East Asia” as its mission.

Moreover, the Taichung City Government has always honoured the Host City Contract and not been informed of any failures to fulfil any of its contractual obligations over the past three years. Also, the EAOC never mentioned what terms were allegedly violated in the letter sent to the Taichung City Government on 25 July.

The world of sports has no borders, and athletic exchanges are the ideal venue to help different countries and peoples get to know each other and promote international harmony. Since being awarded the hosting right in 2014, the Taichung City Government has been preparing for the EAYG. With the date of the competition approaching, China’s boycott to pressure the EAOC into passing a resolution to cancel the Games is hasty and extremely unfair to the host city.

For many years China’s government has repeatedly used every means at its disposal to limit Taiwan’s space for international participation. From the recent case of pressuring international airlines to change Taiwan’s designation to this unfair resolution made by the EAOC, it is obvious that China’s politically motivated pressure has expanded to non-political areas. Thus, in order to protect the rights of athletes as well as safeguard the Olympic spirit, there is a need for EAOC Council to resolve this dispute with Taiwan through amicable consultation and resume the hosting right of Taichung City as soon as possible.

    
Nigel Evans MP                             Lord Rogan   

As the co-chairs of the British-Taiwanese All-Party Parliamentary Group, we are dismayed to learn that China’s civil aviation authority unilaterally announced on 4 January 2018 that it would activate four air routes along its southeast coast without prior consultation with Taiwan. The new northbound M503 route with its three east-west extension routes, which are critically close to the median line of the Taiwan Strait, are very likely to endanger aviation safety and security and to interfere with flight services in Taipei Flight Information Region (FIR).

We regarded the unilateral move by China as an irresponsible act that not only seriously affects aviation safety but also damages the cross-strait status quo. Beijing’s expansion of civil aviation routes has violated the consensus reached between Taiwan and China in 2015. Thus, we consider this violation in a way to change the cross-strait status quo. Moreover, there is possibility that a potential risk of military crisis could emerge in the Taiwan Strait, constituting a threat to the peace and security of the East Asia region.

According to Document No. 9426 of International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), flight routes such as M503 and its extensions should only be launched following consultations with neighboring parties. Thus, China’s unilateral launch of new flight routes violates both ICAO regulations and international norms.

As ensuring aviation safety and maintaining peace and stability in the region remain the common concern of all parties concerned, we support the maintenance of the status quo in the Taiwan Strait and urge China to put an end immediately to its use of the above-mentioned air routes. There is a need for China to give priority to restoring negotiations with Taiwan on the flight paths as soon as possible.

    
Lord Steel of Aikwood                                             Nigel Evans MP