From

Dr. Shoei Oh

President of Taiwanese Association of Japan

To

Mr. Thomas Bach

President of the IOC

November 28, 2018

Dear Mr. Bach,

      I am writing to you in regards to the November 24th referendum on whether the Taiwanese Olympic team should attend the Olympics under the name of Taiwan instead of Chinese Taipei.

      We, the Taiwanese Association of Japan, have been working for months to justify the name change from Chinese Taipei to Taiwan; however, we failed to achieve majority in the referendum. Most people would simply interpret the numbers: they are rigid, cold and clear. However, they do not represent the truth behind the numbers, which would reveal an unfair and dishonest opposition campaign.

      Throughout the entire “Justify the Name for Taiwan” campaign, we have been threatened by China, who considers the campaign as a political movement to promote Taiwan’s independence.

      As you are aware, China considers Taiwan to be part of their territory, and promotes a “One China Policy” to justify their ambition to devour Taiwan. In reality, Taiwan has never been a part of China, and remains a distinct country.

      Before the referendum, the campaign was heavily attacked by fake news and malicious propaganda from China and the Chinese community in Taiwan, deceiving athletes and the public that the IOC had already denied the name “Taiwan”, and that “Chinese Taipei” is the only name to attend the Olympic games.

      Our intention is not to deny the referendum. We only wish to convey that its result does not represent the true will of the Taiwanese people. Most of the people prefer the name Taiwan, and would be happier for our athletes to play under the name Taiwan.

Best regards,

Shoei Oh, MD.