| Chinese Taipei | |
| Nickname: | 梅花旗 (Méihuāqí), literally "Plum Blossom Banner" |
| Proportion: | 2:3 |
| Adoption: | 1981 |
| Design: | A National Emblem of the Republic of China is the (Blue Sky and White Sun National Emblem), with Olympic Five Rings on it, surrounded by five-petal plum blossoms (the Republic of China's national emblem National flower) is drawn in red, white and blue. |
The Chinese Taipei Olympic flag is used by the Republic of China (ROC) Taiwan team, which competes under the title "Chinese Taipei" during the Olympic Games and other events, in place of the flag of the Republic of China. This is a result of the complex Cross-Strait relations between the Republic of China and the People's Republic of China. The Olympic flag has been in use since 1981, following the decision by the International Olympic Committee that the ROC could not compete under the country's name or flag.
Due to this restriction, the National Anthem of the Republic of China also could not be played when the team wins medals, so, instead, the National Flag Anthem of the Republic of China was played during the flag raising of the medal ceremony.
The flag shows the Blue Sky with a White Sun (the emblem of the Republic of China and the Kuomintang) and the Olympic rings, encircled by a five-petaled Prunus mei (the ROC's national flower) drawn in red, white, and blue (the colors of the ROC flag).[1]
In addition to its use in the Olympics, some companies operating in mainland China use the Chinese Taipei flag in place of the ROC flag to represent Taiwan since the PRC does not recognize the ROC.
The IOC adopted the Nagoya Resolution in November 1979 which called for the "Republic of China Olympic Committee" to change its name to the "Chinese Taipei Olympic Committee" and adopt a new flag and anthem if it wanted to participate in the Olympic Games. The ROC strongly disagreed with the decision and sued the IOC in Switzerland.[2] The ROC claimed that the conditions concerning its name, flag, and anthem violated articles 6, 64, and 66 of the Olympic Charter. However, despite appealing an initial court judgment, the ROC was not successful. On 15 January 1980, a Swiss court rejected the ROC effort to remain in the Olympic movement under the name of "Republic of China."[3] [4] [5]
After a series of forceful objections, Taiwan officially accepted the compromise in 1981, and the island competed in the 1984 Winter Olympics in Sarajevo, SFR Yugoslavia.[6]
For other Olympic-affiliated and international sporting events, Taiwan uses variations on the Olympic flag: