The Identity Paradox
Four names.
None chosen.
Taiwan is called four different things — depending on who is speaking, and what they want. Not one of these names was freely chosen by the Taiwanese people. Understanding the difference between them is the first step to understanding Taiwan's situation.
On the passport
Republic
of China
A name from 1912, carried to Taiwan in 1949 by a government that lost a civil war. Not chosen — inherited.
Est. 1912 · Never voted on
In people's hearts
Taiwan
What most people on the island call themselves. Over 60% identify as Taiwanese — not Chinese. A living identity with no official international status.
Always existed · Suppressed for decades · Still not official
At the Olympics
"Chinese
Taipei"
Taiwan was expelled from international sport, then offered re-entry — under a different name. A city name used in place of a country. No Taiwanese voted on it.
IOC compromise 1981 · No democratic mandate
In global institutions & commerce
"Taiwan,
Province of China"
Beijing's sovereignty claim disguised as a label — pushed into UN agencies, WHO databases, airline booking systems, and online forms. A battle still being fought.
PRC pressure · Contested by EU, Australia & others
So why doesn't Taiwan just change its name?
- 01
Beijing has declared that any formal move toward independence — including a name change — would be treated as a trigger for military action. Taiwan lives under this threat permanently.
- 02
Taiwan's constitution still officially names the state "Republic of China." Amending it requires a referendum. A referendum on the name is itself considered a provocation by Beijing — and by some of Taiwan's diplomatic allies who fear escalation.
- 03
Many countries quietly prefer the status quo — "Chinese Taipei" lets them trade with both sides without choosing. Taiwan's naming problem is partly sustained by other nations' economic self-interest.
- 04
In 1971, UN Resolution 2758 expelled the Republic of China and recognised the PRC as the sole legitimate representative of China. "Republic of China" was no longer a viable name on the world stage. The IOC offered a compromise in 1981: compete, but not as yourself. The KMT government accepted "Chinese Taipei" without a referendum — its own Greater China ideology made "Chinese" uncontroversial. Taiwan's first free election was still 15 years away. Challenging this name today risks expulsion from international competitions — soft power Taiwan cannot afford to lose.
- 05
In the WTO, Taiwan participates as the "Separate Customs Territory of Taiwan, Penghu, Kinmen and Matsu" — a name so unwieldy it reduces a democratic nation of 23 million to a bureaucratic description of its geography. Not a country. Not even a proper noun. A customs zone.
- 06
Beyond "Chinese Taipei," there are two further naming weapons. In some UN agencies, WHO, and ISO: "Taiwan, Province of China" — a label resulting from Beijing's institutional pressure, not a settled legal fact. Resolution 2758 never mentioned Taiwan's status — but China has used it to push this language into international bodies. The EU Parliament, Australia, and others are now pushing back. Meanwhile in airline booking systems and online forms: "Taiwan, China" — companies comply under threat of losing Chinese market access. In 2018, Beijing pressured over 40 airlines. Most complied within weeks.
A question worth sitting with
Imagine your country had four names simultaneously — one from a lost civil war, one imposed by a sports committee, one being pushed into international institutions by your neighbour's political pressure, and one that everyone actually uses but no government officially recognises. Would you consider that fair? That is Taiwan's reality, every single day.