The ROC Flag under the Tokyo Dome

The ROC Flag under the Tokyo Dome
United Daily News editorial (Taipei, Taiwan, ROC)
A Translation
March 12, 2013

Summary: The sea of ROC national flags displayed at the WBC match offers us a lesson. At one time, some civil servants would refuse to swear allegiance to the ROC national flag. Now we have people across the nation, standing beneath the red, white, and blue ROC national flag, cheering the Chinese Taipei team on. Does the Republic of China represent the mainstream? Just look at the sea of ROC national flags at the Intercontinental Stadium or Tokyo Dome for your answer. After all, no one can divide the fans. No one dares divide the fans. The ROC national flag can hold its own.

Full Text below:

The Chinese Taipei team has never performed better than it did at this year's World Baseball Classic (WBC). The Republic of China (ROC) national flag has never been more visible than it was, from the Taichung Intercontinental Baseball Stadium to the Tokyo Dome, at this year's game.

The ROC national flag is controversial. For decades, Green Camp supporters never displayed a single ROC national flag at their rallies. One time, when Mainland VIPs visited, the ROC government actually hid the ROC national flag. Every year, on New Years Day, the government holds a flag-raising ceremony in front of the Presidential Palace. The lines between Blue and Green, official and civilian are clear. During this year's WBC games however, the appearance of the ROC national flag was totally spontaneous. The sea of flags, brought to the games by fans on their own initiative, took on a life of their own. They generated heat. They transcended Blue vs. Green political divisions. They connected viscerally with the people. The "Mexican wave" that accompanied the ROC national flag remains vivid in our memory.

When the audience waved flags their motive was non-political. They merely wanted to proclaim who they were among the fans in the stands. Otherwise, how would anyone know? But the sea of flags inadvertently offered some major revelations about politics on Taiwan, and future cross-Strait relations. The impacts are subtle but profound. One of the most important is the unwitting establishment of a precedent for future Olympic games.

The ROC withdrew from the United Nations and thereby lost membership in the Olympics in 1971. In 1981, according to the "Olympic Model," the ROC was reinstated, and represented by the five ringed Olympic flag. The ROC national flag subsequently disappeared from Olympic venues. The International Olympics Committee (IOC) adopted the Olympic flag. Beijing also forbade sports fans in the grandstands from waving ROC national flags. The Atlanta and Sydney Olympic tickets even stated that fans were not permitted to bring flags other than delegation flags into the venues. As a result, disputes arose over sports fan's personal flags. Even high school students took part in the IOC disputes on gaming venues. These venues were of course not under IOC jurisdiction. During the 2001 Asian Women's Soccer Cup and 2005 Asian Figure Skating Cup, the host city was Taipei. Taipei Mayor Ma Ying-jeou said he "did not recommend audience members bringing ROC national flags into the venues." He said "The organizers must abide by the IOC model." Ma Ying-jeou is still being criticized for the position he took back then.

In 2008, the Beijing Olympic torch was initially scheduled to come to Taiwan. But rumors emerged that the IOC, under pressure from Beijing, would forbid the display of the ROC national flag along the streets of Taipei. It was as if all of Taiwan was subject to the Olympic model. As a result, both the ruling and opposition parties, as well as the general public, lashed back. As a result, during the 2008 presidential election campaign, presidential candidate Ma Ying-flag set forth "Five Principles for the Display of the ROC National Flag and the Singing of the ROC National Anthem." He proposed that henceforth a distinction would be made between event organizers and sports fans. Later Ma Ying-jeou was elected president. During the 2009 World Games in Kaohsiung, and the Taipei Deaflympics, the IOC model was adopted for the event organizers, but sports fans would be allowed to wave whatever flag they wished. Since then, there have been few disputes during international competitions.

The World Baseball Classic follows this "event organizers vs. sports fans" model. The WBC match is sponsored by Major League baseball organizations in the US. It is also sponsored by baseball organizations in Japan and South Korea. Mainland China is a participant (Group A). Group B preliminary rounds are held in Taichung. As a result the match has become a "Taiwan, Mainland, US, and Japan" gala event. This match was an international event. It attracted considerable attention. The Intercontinental Stadium telecast attracted over 10 million viewers. The showdown between Taiwan and Japan at the Tokyo Dome sold out. The ROC national flag flew in the stands under the Tokyo Dome. This offers us an even better precedent for the "IOC model."

The Blue and Green camps on Taiwan remain deadlocked. The two sides of the Taiwan Strait seek continued peace.  This evolution is something that all four participants should contemplate. First, consider cross-Strait relations. In 2005, Ma Ying-jeou clung to the old IOC model. During the Beijing Olympics of 2008, Beijing insisted that no ROC national flags be displayed along the Olympic torch route. But as a result of the 2008 presidential election, the ROC national flag reappeared under the Tokyo Dome. On this issue, the two sides achieved cross-Strait consensus. The more the ROC national flag is held high, the more enduring peace between the two sides is possible. When Beijing attempted to prevent display of the red, white, and blue ROC national flag, it merely increased alienation on Taiwan. Today baseball fans on Taiwan have show their heartfelt support for the red, white, and blue ROC national flag. Today, it should be easier to understand this newspaper's "Glass Theory." Taiwan is the water. The Republic of China is the glass. As long as the glass remains intact, the water remains contained. Once the glass is shattered, the water spills out everywhere.

The sea of ROC national flags displayed at the WBC match offers us a lesson. At one time, some civil servants would refuse to swear allegiance to the ROC national flag. Now we have people across the nation, standing beneath the red, white, and blue ROC national flag, cheering the Chinese Taipei team on. Does the Republic of China represent the mainstream? Just look at the sea of ROC national flags at the Intercontinental Stadium or Tokyo Dome for your answer. After all, no one can divide the fans. No one dares divide the fans. The ROC national flag can hold its own.

The Chinese Taipei team's victory at the WBC match was not complete. But the enthusiasm shown by sports fans will save the ROC national flag.

東京巨蛋的青天白日滿地紅國旗
【聯合報╱社論】
2013.03.12 02:51 am

這次世界棒球經典賽，是中華隊表現最佳的一次。與此同時，亦有人注意到，這次世界棒球經典賽，從台中洲際棒球場，到東京巨蛋球場，也是青天白日滿地紅國旗表現得最亮眼、最壯盛的一次。

國旗是一個爭議話題。幾十年來，綠營的集會看不見國旗，且曾有一度大陸賓客來訪還要藏起國旗；每年元旦總統府前的升旗典禮由政府主辦，也是藍、綠、官、民分明；而在此次經典賽中，國旗的出現完全由球迷自發而起，令人感覺到這一片旗海有了生命、有了熱力、突破藍綠，與民眾血肉相連，那看台上隨著國旗疾走而演出的波浪舞，現今彷彿仍是歷歷在目。

觀眾擎旗，其動念初衷應不是出自政治，只是要為看台上的球迷建立一個身分的認同，否則即不知「我們究竟是誰？」；但這一片旗海，對今後的台灣內部政治及兩岸關係，皆應有重大啟示，也理當會發生微妙且深刻的影響。其中最重要的意義，是使兩岸在不知不覺間，已然創造了一個「新奧會模式」。

一九七一年中華民國退出聯合國，繼之失去奧會會籍。一九八一年，藉「奧會模式」恢復會籍，以梅花五環旗為「會旗」，自此國旗即自奧會場地消失身影；且不但大會採用「會旗」，北京亦不容看台的觀眾擎持青天白日滿地紅國旗，甚至在亞特蘭大及雪梨奧運的門票上，載明不准觀眾持「代表團會旗」以外的旗幟。於是，觀眾持旗的糾紛時起，甚至連高中生的國際奧林匹亞競賽及電玩比賽場地中也生爭執，但這些場域卻皆非奧會所轄。二○○一年亞洲盃女子足球賽，及二○○五年亞洲花式滑冰賽，主辦城市台北市市長馬英九表示，「不建議觀眾持國旗進場」，而稱「主辦單位必須遵守奧會模式」；這段過節，使馬英九的立場迄今仍遭批評。

二○○八年，北京奧運聖火原本計劃來台，但傳出不容所經的台北街道出現青天白日滿地紅國旗的主張，儼然欲將整個台灣納入「奧會模式」，因而被台灣朝野及輿論峻拒。於是，當時是二○○八總統大選候選人的馬英九提出「旗歌五原則」，主張此後應將「賽事」與「觀眾」區隔。後來，馬英九當選總統，二○○九年的高雄世運及台北聽奧，即採「大會採奧會模式／看台任觀眾持旗」的默契；此後，即罕聞在國際賽事看台上的旗幟爭執。

此次經典賽應可視為「大會／看台」分流的「新奧會模式」的確立。此賽由美國職棒大聯盟主辦（國際棒總、日本棒球機構及韓國棒球委員會也是經典賽發起人），且中國大陸亦是參賽國（Ａ組），而Ｂ組初賽又在台中舉行，於是使比賽成為「台／陸／美／日」的匯演事件；以此賽的國際高度，加上觀眾的注目（洲際球場電視轉播台灣觀眾逾千萬人，東京巨蛋台日戰滿座），而中華民國國旗既能飄揚在東京巨蛋的看台，應可視作已為「新奧會模式」建立了更加穩固的範例。

此事的演化，對台灣內部政治的「藍綠僵局」與兩岸的「和平發展」皆是彌可深思的啟示。先就兩岸關係論：試想，二○○五年，馬英九仍持「舊奧會模式」，而北京在二○○八年仍主張奧運聖火來台不可見到國旗；但只因二○○八一場總統大選，如今青天白日滿地紅國旗，已然飄揚在東京巨蛋球場。兩岸在此獲得的共同啟示是：愈護持青天白日滿地紅國旗，兩岸愈有「和平發展」的可能性。尤其是北京，經歷過去打壓封殺青天白日滿地紅旗，而把台灣愈逼愈遠的日子；如今見到台灣球迷如此護持青天白日滿地紅旗，應當更可領悟本報倡議的「杯子理論」：台灣是水，中華民國是杯；杯在水在，杯破水覆。

經典賽的旗海對台灣政治的藍綠惡鬥亦深具啟示意義。試想，我們曾有公職人員拒絕在國旗前宣誓就職的往日；但我們也有全國民眾在青天白日滿地紅旗之下，一起為「中華隊」加油的今日。若問「中華民國」能不能代表台灣的「主體性」，洲際球場及東京巨蛋看台的國旗也許就是答案。畢竟，沒有人能撕裂球迷，沒有人敢撕裂球迷，國旗就能挺住！

中華隊在經典賽沒有全贏，但熱情的球迷終將中華民國國旗救回來、贏回來了！