The president of Hong Kong’s Sports Association resigned on Friday after the Hong Kong government slammed the gaffe, saying it could suggest Taiwan independence and violate the “one China” principle.
The Hong Kong government adheres to Beijing’s orthodox view that Taiwan is part of Chinese territory and will one day be reunified, by force if necessary.
Josephine Yip, president of the Hong Kong Chinese Weightlifting and Powerlifting Association, came under fire this month for a speech in which she listed “Chinese Taipei” among the “countries” taking part in competitions in Hong Kong.
In international sporting events, democratic Taiwan is known as “Chinese Taipei.”
The Hong Kong government said on May 11 that Yip’s comments were “absolutely unacceptable” and raised “suspected violation of the one-China principle”, adding that local sports authorities would investigate.
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The weightlifting association announced on Friday that Yip had resigned for “personal reasons.”
The agency previously apologised for a “serious oversight” and said Yip had mistakenly meant to describe Taiwan as a “region” in a speech.
But critics such as pro-Beijing politician Adrian Ho cast doubt on that explanation, pointing to a similar gaffe made by Ye in March when he called Hong Kong, a special administrative region of China, a “relatively small country”.
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Beijing imposed national security laws on Hong Kong in 2020 after mass pro-democracy protests erupted in China’s financial hub.
The law criminalizes secession, such as seeking independence for territories like Hong Kong or Taiwan, and carries a maximum penalty of life imprisonment.
Hong Kong authorities have tried to promote patriotism in sport, ordering the city’s sports association last year to include “China” in its official name or risk having its funding cut off.
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Yip’s resignation came shortly after Beijing carried out a second day of drills around Taiwan on Friday to test the Chinese military’s ability to seize control of the island.
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